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Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2011  with  funding  from 

University  of  North  Carolina  at  Chapel  Hil 


http://www.archive.org/details/allaboutanimalsfOOnewy 


HAMRAN  ARABS  ATTACKING  ELEPHANTS. 


^LL.  About- AnimALs. 


FACT 


TORI 


IM 


t: 


ILLUSTRATED 


•MEW  °y®M> 


'  I  also  am  a  Tiger  "—Puss. 


/ 


.fcM 


ayg^^gJPivag^^. 


eoPYRlGHT.,9oo 

MckouGHLiN  Bros 


THE    CAT    TRIBE. 

The  beautiful  and  terrible  animals  known  as  the  Cat  Tribe  stand  out  as 
a  distinct  family.  They  are  all  noted  for  their  grace  and  beauty  and  won- 
derful strength.  They  are  flesh-eaters,  destructive  in  their  mode  of  obtaining 
food,  and  in  habits  stealthy,  silent  of  foot,  quick  of  ear,  and  swift  of  attack. 
Members  of  this  group  are  found  in  every  part  of  the  world,  and  vary  in  size 
from  the  mighty  lion  and  tiger  to  the  domestic  cat. 

THE   LION. 

First  comes  the  Lion,  the  king  of  the  beasts.  The  only  remaining 
stronghold  of  this  largest  animal  of  the  cat  species  is  in  Central  Africa.  The 
time  was  when  it  wandered  through  Persia,  Syria,  and  India,  but  owing  to 
strong  persecution  it  has  almost  vanished  out  of  Asia. 

The  lion  is  an  open-country  hunter.  It  is  to  be  found,  as  a  rule,  in  the 
lon<j  grass  and  bush-lands,  or  on  the  outskirts  of  the  deserts.  Its  color  is  a 
beautiful  yellowish-brown,  which  matches  its  surroundings  so  perfectly  that  it 
is  enabled  to  steal  upon  its  prey  unseen.  A  favorite  trick  01  the  lion  is  to  lie 
in  wait  upon  some  rock  near  a  path  where  deer  and  antelope  pass  on  their 
way  to  drink.  Its  color  here  again  serves  to  keep  it  concealed,  for  it  lies  so 
still  that  even  the  timid  deer  are  deceived,  and  do  not  see  their  enemy  crouch- 
ing in  ambush.  As  the  deer  pass  by,  the  lion  springs  among  them  and  drags 
a  victim  down. 

The  lion  has  earned  his  regal  title  from  his  strength.  It  is  said  that  a 
full-grown  male  will  attack  and  pull  down  a  buffalo.  It  easily  drags  the 
body  of  the  largest  horse  over  the  roughest  ground.  When  a  lion  makes  an 
attack  it  springs  upon  its  victim's  neck,  and  at  the  same  time  deals  a  fearful 
blow  with  its  paw. 

Many  are  the  stories  told  showing  this  trait,  and  one  of  the  most  inter- 
esting comes  from  the  late  Dr.  Livingstone: 

A  number  of  natives  had  found  a  lion  concealed  in  a  long  grass  swamp. 
Forming  a  circle,  they  closed  slowly  in,  beating  tom-toms  all  the  while.  As 
the  circle  became  very  narrow,  the  lion  suddenly  broke  cover  with  a  roar,  and 


THE    LION. 


A    LIONESS    AND    CUBS. 


made  off  for  the  nearest  shelter.  The  natives  scattered  right  and  left,  but 
one  man,  unable  to  get  away  quickly  enough,  was  knocked  down  by  the 
lion.  When  the  hunt  was  over  .the  doctor  returned  expecting  to  find  the 
man  only  stunned,  when,  to  his  surprise,  he  found  his  shoulder  broken  and 
his  skull  crushed  like  an  e^sr-shell  from  the  blow  he  had  received. 

The  lion  is  not  a  sneak  like  the  tiger,  for  instead  of  seeking  cover  it 
comes  boldly  out  into  the  open,  and  it  is  killed  that  much  easier.  An  instance 
of  the  nature  of  the  lion  is  here  shown  in  the  following  story : 

A  hunter  camping  in  Abvssinia  was  one  evening  surprised  when  a  native 
told  him  that  a  few  minutes  before  he  had  passed  quite  close  to  a  full-grown 
lion.  "  You  were  not  afraid  ?  "  asked  the  hunter.  "  No,"  replied  the  native. 
"  Why  should  I  be  ?  The  lion  never  attacks  us  unless  he  is  very  hungry  or 
annoved." 

J 

This  last  story  shows  an  odd  trait  in  the  lion's  character.     The  lion  has 


SENEGAL    LIONS. 


THE    LION. 

no  desire  to  interfere  with  man ;  in  fact,  one  never  hears  of  a  man-eating  lion. 
Why  this  should  be  nobody  has  ever  yet  been  able  to  say  for  certain.  Many 
hunters  claim  that  should  a  man  fall  into  a  lion's  clutches  and  be  killed,  the 
body  will  not  be  eaten,  although  the  lion  may  have  fearfully  mangled  it  in  its 
rage.     The  natives  say  that  the  white  man's  flesh' is  distasteful  to  the  lion. 

With  regard  to  the  lion  not  being  a  sneak,  there  are  always  exceptions  to 
prove  the  rule,  for  while  it  does  not  hesitate  to  boldly  raid  a  cattle  corral  in 
broad  daylight,  there  are  times  when  it  prefers  to  sneak  upon  its  prey.  A 
story  showing  this  comes  from  a  young  man  who  had  recently  taken  service 
in  South  Africa : 

He  left  his  camp,  one  fine  evening  about  dusk,  for  a  stroll,  and,  passing 
near  a  small  pond,  he  sat  down  on  the  edge.  Suddenly  looking  across,  he 
saw  three  pairs  of  green  eyes  on  the  other  side  watching  him.  Being  new  to 
the  country,  he  did  not  at  once  realize  his  danger.  The  eyes  belonged  to 
lions  who  had  come  there  to  drink,  who,  on  seeing  him,  divided,  coming 
round  the  pond  slowly,  and  creeping  toward  him.  The  young  fellow,  who 
was  smoking,  placed  his  pipe  beside  him  on  the  rock,  and  as  he  turned  to 
watch  the  eyes  he  upset  it  into  some  dry  grass,  which  took  fire  at  once.  The 
lions,  thus  exposed  to  view,  glared  at  him,  and  then  turned  tail  and  made  off, 
like  great  skulking  cats.  Needless  to  say  that  was  the  last  evening  stroll  the 
young  man  took  while  in  those  parts. 

The  lions  set  a  bad  example  to  the  rest  of  the  animal  kingdom,  for  they 
are  very  quarrelsome.  Two  or  three  lions  will  combine  to  attack  a  rhinoce- 
ros or  buffalo,  but  afterward  they  will  always  fight  over  the  division  of  the 
spoil,  and  not  infrequently  one  of  the  lions  that  has  helped  to  gain  the  victory 
will  be  driven  off  without  getting  a  share.  A  hunter  once  wounded  a  giraffe, 
but  before  he  could  fire  a  second  shot  the  giraffe  rushed  off  over  a  hill-side. 
The  hunter  followed  as  fast  as  he  could,  and  to  his  astonishment  he  found  the 
giraffe  in  a  deadly  combat  with  some  lions.  After  making  frantic  efforts  to  get 
away,  the  bullet  took  effect  and  the  giraffe  fell  dead.  The  lions,  thinking 
that  they  had  gained  an  easy  victory,  had  a  grand  battle  between  themselves 
for  the  possession  of  the  carcass. 

Great  authorities  on  Africa  are  of  the  opinion  that  the  lion  will  become 
extinct  within  the  next  hundred  years,  unless  it  is  strictly  protected.  In  spite 
of  the  fact  that  the  lioness  gives  birth  to  six  or  seven  cubs  at  a  time,  these 
animals  are  steadily  vanishing  before  the  advance  of  man.  For  the  hunters 
of  big  game  it  will  be  a  pity  when  this  mighty  beast  no  longer  roams  the 
desert,  or  breaks  the  stillness  of  the  tropic  night  with  its  deafening  roar. 


BARBARY   LION. 


O 


g 

3 

O 


THE   TIGER. 

The  Tiger  hunt  is  the  royal  sport  of  India,  because  it  is  attended  with 
greater  danger  than  any  other  kind  of  hunting  in  the  world.  Books  could  be 
filled  with  stories  of  the  tigers  ferocity  and  recklessness,  its  wild  charges  upon 
elephants  and  horses  of  the  hunting-party  and  its  violent  struggles  to  get  away, 
once  it  has  been  cornered  by  its  foes.  There  is  an  old  saying  which  runs  : 
"  You  are  never  sure  of  a  tiger  until  he  is  dead,  and  not  always  then."  The 
striped  skin  of  the  tiger  is  of  great  use  to  him  as  a  protection,  just  as  much  as 
the  brown  fur  of  the  lion  helps  it  to  hide  among  the  sand-hills  and  rocks. 
The  tiger  haunts  the  thickest  jungle,  and  its  brilliant  yellow  and  black  striped 
skin  harmonizes  splendidly  with  the  reeds  and  grasses  in  the  fierce  lights  and 
shadows  of  the  Indian  day. 

Much  is  written  of  the  man-eating  tiger  by  people  who  do  not  realize  that 
it  is  only  the  lame  or  aged  beast,  unable  any  longer  to  pull  down  a  buck, 
that  attacks  man.     When  the  tiger  has  once  tasted  human  blood  it  becomes 


f'jjgS  '.-!?>."--        -_  -      ■-,: ■-'        -:      ■'"■••■- 


BENGAL   TIGER. 


^ggiar 


SURPRISED, 


THE   TIGER. 

a  confirmed  man-hunter,  and  holds  the  country  round  in  terror.  The  women 
no  longer  dare  go  into  the  fields  along,  and  even  the  men  travel  from  place  to 
place  in  well-armed  parties  of  three  and  four. 

Nothing  is  more  wonderful  about  the  tiger  than  its  ability,  in  spite  of  its 
enormous  size,  to  move  quietly  over  twigs  and  leaves.  A  good  illustration 
of  this,  and  its  sneaking  habits,  is  the  following  story  : 

A  hunter  decided  to  watch  the  ford  of  a  stream  where  a  tiger  had  been  in 
the  habit  of  coming  down  to  drink.  He  posted  an  armed  native  on  the  oppo- 
site side,  and  then  hid  himself.  After  several  hours  of  watching,  during  which 
time  he  saw  nothing  of  the  tiger,  he  called  to  his  companion.  The  man  did 
not  answer  and  the  hunter  became  alarmed.  There  was  an  uncanny  stillness 
in  the  air.  He  hastened  across,  and  there  he  saw  the  footprints  of  a  huge 
tiger  just  behind  where  the  man  had  been  standing.  He  followed  up  the 
tiger's  trail,  and  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  yards  away  he  fell  over  the 
native's  bod}'.  He  was  quite  dead,  with  a  clawed  and  broken  neck.  Al- 
though the  hunter  was  only  a  short  distance  off,  he  had  heard  nothing  of 
the  tiger's  approach. 

Two  ladies  left  their  bungalow  one  evening,  and  walked  to  the  top  of  a 
hill  to  view  the  sunset.  While  they  were  returning,  a  full-grown  tiger 
stepped  out  into  the  road.  One  lady,  in  her  terror,  suddenly  opened  her  red 
sun-shade.  The  unusual  sight  startled  the  tiger,  who  bounded  into  the  jungle 
once  more. 

This  story  only  goes  to  show  that  the  fiercest  animals  in  the  world  can  be 
frightened  by  simple  objects  which  they  do  not  understand.  All  the  cat  tribe 
are  cautious,  and  will  never  approach  anything  that  looks  to  them  suspicious. 

Another  story  is  told  of  an  Indian  officer,  who  had  to  pass  through  a 
lonely  piece  of  road  near  a  jungle,  while  going  to  visit  some  friends.  He  was 
riding  a  bicycle.  Suddenly  a  large  tiger  sprang  out  behind  him,  and  followed 
him  with  much  the  same  gait  that  a  cat  uses  when  crossing  the  street.  Strain 
as  hard  as  he  could,  the  rider  was  unable  to  increase  his  lead  on  the  tiger, 
who  seemed  not  to  be  making  the  least  effort.  Near  the  end  of  the  road  a 
number  of  officers  were  waiting  for  the  expected  guest,  and  were  astonished 
at  the  speed  he  was  making.  When  they  saw  the  tiger  behind  him  they 
rushed  for  their  guns.  At  the  same  time  the  tiger  seemed  to  think  that  he 
had  come  far  enough,  and,  uttering  a  loud  roar,  gave  three  huge  springs, 
which  brought  him  up  with  his  victim,  and  down  went  tiger,  bicycle,  and  rider, 
in  a  heap.  A  lucky  shot  finished  the  tiger,  and  the  officer  escaped  with  a 
torn  scalp  and  a  broken  arm. 


THE   LEOPARD. 

It  is  about  as  hard  to  catch  a  Lkopard  asleep  as  to  sprinkle  salt  on  the 
tail  of  a  bird.     The  beautiful  spotted  creature  is  the  most  cunning  and  daring, 
of  the  cat  tribe.     Although  much  inferior  in  strength  and  size  to  the  tiger,  it 
will  attempt  deeds  that  the  latter  would  shun  as  too  dangerous. 

An  Indian  story  runs  that  a  dead  sheep  was  hung  up  near  a  sentry's  box, 
and  in  a  short  time  it  was  missing.  On  the  ground  directly  beneath  where 
the  sheep  had  hung  were  footprints  of  a  leopard,  and  yet  the  soldier  on 
guard  had  not  heard  a  sound.  After  that  he  kept  a  better  watch,  and  an- 
other sheep  was  hung  up.  Suddenly,  with  a  roar,  up  sprang  a  leopard,  from 
nowhere  it  seemed,  and  seizing  the  sheep  it  made  off,  after  viciously  laying 
about  it  with  its  paws,  wounding  several  natives,  and  leaving  the  soldier 
half  dead. 

Leopards  do  not  hesitate  to  attack  in  broad  daylight,  and  will  carry 
small  animals  off  from  under  their  keeper's  very  nose.  On  one  occasion  a 
leopard  sprang  into  the  middle  of  a  camp  at  midnight,  and  dragged  off  a  pair 
of  wolf-hounds  that  were  fastened  together.  After  carrying  them  some  hun- 
dred yards  or  so,  it  was  forced  to  drop  its  prey.  One  dog  was  dead,  with  its 
skull  smashed  in,  and  the  other  was  so  badly  injured  that  it  had  to  be  shot. 

Leopards  have  a  fondness  for  eating  the  flesh  of  dogs,  and  resort  to  many 
clever  tricks  to  gratify  their  taste. 

The  pariah  dogs,  which  swarm  about  every  Indian  village,  on  hearing  the 
leopard  growling,  will  rush  toward  the  spot  with  loud  barkings.  The  leopard 
lets  them  approach,  and  then  suddenly  springs  out  on  the  nearest  dog  and 
bounds  off  with  it. 

Another  clever  device  they  resort  to  is  in  catching  antelopes.  A  great 
failing  of  all  the  antelope  tribe  is  curiosity.  This  the  leopard  well  knows,  so 
he  hides  in  a  small  clump  of  grass  near  a  herd  of  the  swift-footed  animals, 
and  slowly  moves  his  body  back  and  forth  sb  as  to  make  the  grass  wave. 
This  attracts  the  attention  of  the  antelopes,  who  come  forward  to  see  what  it 
is,  their  curiosity  leading  them  to  swift  death. 

If  a  leopard  is  chased  by  dogs  it  will  take  to  a  tree.  In  fact  a  large 
part  of  its  life  is  passed  off  the  ground,  preying  upon  the  birds  and  monkeys 
that  live  in  the  upper  branches.  Leopards  are  seldom  or  never  found  in  for- 
ests where  there  is  no  undergrowth.  They  climb  a  tree  and  lie  out  on  the 
larger  limbs,  and  from  there  leap  upon  anything  that  passes  below. 

One  of  the  most  wonderful  stories  of  a  leopard  comes  from  India.  A 
native  woman,  who  was  working  among  the  corn,  had  left  her  baby  asleep 
beneath  a  large  tree.     When  she  had  finished  her  work  she  went  to  get  her 


LEOPARD   AND    CUBS. 


THE    LEOPARD. 


ALWAYS    WARY. 


child  and  found  that  it  had  vanished.  On  the  ground  round  about  were  the 
footprints  of  a  large  leopard.  She  followed  these  up  and  found  that  they  led 
to  a  jungle  near  by.  After  a  long  search  she  came  to  a  sheltered  rock,  under 
which  she  found  her  baby  sound  asleep  among  three  leopard  cubs,  which  were 
playing  together.  The  woman  seized  her  child  and  rushed  off,  but  she  had 
not  gone  far  when  she  heard  something  bounding  after  her.  In  her  terror  she 
rushed  for  an  open  space  where  there  was  a  small  fire  left  by  some  wood- 
choppers.  She  threw  some  leaves  on  it  so  that  it  blazed  up ;  at  the  same 
instant  the  leopard  appeared.  It  stopped,  looked  at  the  fire,  and  lowered  its 
eyes.  At  last  it  turned  tail  and  went  off.  The  woman  waited  until  help 
came  from  a  village  hunter,  who  had  seen  the  smoke  of  the  fire  rising  above 
the  trees.  It  is  impossible  to  say  why  the  leopard  had  not  killed  the  child, 
but  the  fact  remains  that  it  was  none  the  worse  for  its  adventure. 

Considering  the  fact  that  the  child  had  been  carried  some  distance  by  the 
leopard  shows  that  it  must  have  been  handled  as  carefully  as  if  it  had  been 
one  of  her  own  cubs. 

The  leopard  is  regarded  everywhere  as  a  pest,  and  in  India  especially  is 
it  troublesome.  Many  people  are  of  the  opinion  that  a  large  part  of  the  black 
deeds  charged  to  the  tiger  are  really  the  work  of  the  sly,  cunning  leopard. 


THE  JAGUAR. 

The  Jaguar  takes  the  place  of  the  tiger  in  the  South  American  tropics. 
In  habits,  however,  it  is  more  like  the  Eastern  leopard.  It  is  not  as  large 
as  the  tiger,  but  it  is  much  heavier  and  more  powerful  than  the  panther. 

There  are  many  instances  on  record  where  jaguars  have  been  tamed.  A 
captain  in  the  British  navy  had  a  two-year-old  jaguar  that  would  eat  from  his 
hand,  and  was  allowed  to  roam  the  ship  at  large.  In  spite  of  its  size,  it  was 
as  playful  as  a  kitten,  and  was  never  better  pleased  than  to  find  someone 
with  whom  to  have  a  game  of  romps  As  time  wore  on,  the  romps  became 
rather  dangerous,  owing  to  the  jaguar  not  understanding  what  a  frail  playfel- 
low a  man  was.     This  animal  afterward  lived  many  years  in  England. 

The  jaguar  roams  through  the  jungles  from  Paraguay  to  the  Equator,  and 
nothing  seems  too  large  or  too  powerful  for  it  to  attack.  It  will  kill  any- 
thing from  a  horse  down  to  a  lizard. 

Jaguars  swim  well,  and  are  very  fond  of  fish.  They  lie  on  a  branch  over- 
hanging a  stream,  and  watch  till  a  luckless  fish  swims  within  reach  of  their 
deadly  paws.  The  favorite  food  of  the  jaguar  is  the  flesh  of  the  monkeys  that 
swarm  in  the  forests.  The  easiest  time  to  catch  monkeys  is  at  night.  The 
jaguar  climbs  into  the  trees  and  stealthily  prowls  among  the  branches.  Sud- 
denly, the  stillness  of  the  night  is  broken  by  the  fierce  roar  of  the  jaguar  and 
the  terrified  yells  of  the  monkeys,  showing  that  it  has  found  a  sleeping  colony. 
When  the  jaguar  attacks  a  large  animal,  such  as  a  deer,  it  springs  upon  its 
back  and  grasping  the  head  with  its  powerful  paw,  dislocates  its  neck  with  a 
single  wrench. 

When  the  jaguar  wishes  to  cross  a  river  it  resorts  to  a  very  clever  trick  to 
get  the  alligators  out  of  its  way.  It  takes  up  a  position  on  the  bank  and  begins 
to  howl.  The  alligators  hearing  the  noise  come  swimming  up  to  listen. 
When  the  jaguar  sees  that  they  have  arrived,  he  sneaks  off  and  swims  the 
river  lower  down  in  safety.  This  trick  is  played  over  and  over  again  and  yet 
the  alligators  never  seem  to  understand  it. 

The  jaguar  is  a  very  suspicious  and  cautious  animal,  and  will  never  make 
an  open  attack  on  man  or  beast.  Should  a  party  of  hunters  travel  through  the 
forest,  it  will  follow  their  steps  for  days  together,  in  the  hopes  of  picking  up  a 
straggler. 

In  the  early  days  of  settling  countries  inhabited  by  the  jaguar,  it  was 
found  almost  impossible  to  keep  anything  alive  in  the  way  of  stock.  Now  the 
hunter  is  making  slow  but  sure  progress,  and  the  jaguar  is  being  forced  back 
into  the  dense,  trackless  forest. 


JAGUAR. 


THE   PUMA. 


AMERICAN   PUMA. 


The  Puma  (sometimes  spoken  of  as  the  mountain  lion,  panther,  and  cou- 
gar) is  the  largest  cat  of  North  America.  It  is  also  found  far  down  in  South 
America.  Its  head  is  small  for  its  body,  and  it  does  not  look  as  formidable 
a  beast  as  it  really  is.  It  does  not  hesitate  to  attack  man,  if  it  can  do  so  sud- 
denly, without  being  seen. 

One  day  some  hunters  in  California  were  creeping  toward  a  small  herd  of 
deer,  when  they  saw  a  puma  doing  the  same  thing.  So  intent  was  the  animal 
on  its  prey  that  it  did  not  notice  the  hunters  being  near.  Suddenly  the  deer 
became  alarmed,  and  at  once  the  puma  sprang  and  brought  down  a  young 
doe.  One  of  the  hunters  fired,  but  missed,  and  the  puma,  seizing  its  prey  in 
its  mouth,  made  off  across  the  loose  scree  with  amazing  rapidity. 

The  puma  causes  great  havoc  among  the  small  live-stock,  and  should  a 
bullock  get  stuck  in  the  mud  the  puma  will  attack  it.  It  is  not  dangerous  if 
you  can  keep  it  in  sight,  and  you  can  even  prevent  it  springing  by  gazing 
at  it  steadily.     It  will  turn  its  head  from  side  to  side  trying  to  avoid  the  look. 


THE   MARBLED    CAT    AND   THE   OCELOT. 


I 


MARBLED    CAT   (>s  Natural  Size). 

The   Marbled  Cat  is  an  inhabitant  of  Malacca.     It  is  like  the  ocelot, 
though  much  smaller  in  size. 

The   Ocelot  is   found  throughout  the  whole  of  tropical  America.     It  is 
hunted  a  great  deal  -  for  its   beautiful    fur,   which   is   in  exeat  demand. 


OCELOT    (>/,„  Natural  Size). 


THE  EGYPTIAN   CAT. 


EGYPTIAN    CAT    (</6  Natural  Size). 

The  Egyptian  Cat  might  easily  be  mistaken  for  the  ordinary  cat,  both  in 
size  and  looks.  It  is  claimed  that  this  is  the  species  that  received  so  much 
veneration  from  the  ancient  Egyptians.  A  story  is  told  that  the  Egyptians 
once  refused  to  attack  an  invading  army  because  they  carried  these  sacred 
cats  with  them.  It  is  also  supposed  that  the  punishment  for  maiming  or 
injuring  one  of  these  cats  was  death. 

Recent  explorations  have  revealed  mummies  of  cats,  some  that  had  been 
buried  with  great  pomp,  proving  that  great  respect  was  shown  even  to  the 
dead.     In  Egypt  privileges  were  given  to  cats  that  were  denied  to  workmen. 


THE  WILD   CAT. 


Perhaps  the  best  known  of  all  the  felines  is  the  Wild  Cat.  It  is  quite  a 
common  mistake  to  confuse  the  domestic  cat  that  has  run  wild  with  the  true 
wild  cat.  The  latter  is  found  all  over  the  world.  It  is  very  rare  in  the  British 
Islands,  on  account  of  its  having  been  killed  by  the  preservers  of  game,  and  it 


WILD    CAT. 


WILD    CAT    (7,0  Natural  Size). 

is  astounding  what  damage  one  of  these  creatures  will  do,  for  when  they  enter 
a  preserve,  they  leave  a  bloody  trail  of  victims  in  their  wake.  A  wild  cat  was 
once  caught  in  a  trap  that  had  been  set  in  a  rain-storm  drain,  and  when  the 
keeper  found  it,  he  had  to  shoot  the  poor  beast  before  he  could  go  near,  so 
fierce  was  its  resistance.     The  young  stay  with  the  parents  until  full  grown. 

Many  stories  are  told  showing  the  fierce  temper  of  the  wild  cat,  and  one 
of  the  most  interesting  of  them  relates  how  one  was  cornered  in  a  hen-house, 
and,  when  disturbed,  set  upon  the  man  so  that  he  had  to  beat  a  hasty  retreat. 

A  gentleman  was  taking  a  walk  in  a  lonely  canon  in  one  of  the  coast  val- 
leys of  California,  and  on  looking  up  saw,  on  a  dead  tree-stump,  some  eight 
feet  above  him,  a  huge  wild  cat.  They  both  eyed  each  other  suspiciously, 
while  the  former  drew  near  and  moved  his  hand  very  slowly  toward  his  hip- 
pocket,  which  contained  a  .38-calibre  revolver.  He  drew  the  weapon  out  care- 
fully, and  still  the  cat  did  not  move.  But  the  instant  he  took  aim,  the  cat 
crouched,  and,  as  the  trigger  was  pulled,  it  sprang.  The  bullet  smashed  one 
of  its  front  paws  and  broke  its  spring,  or  the  result  might  have  been  serious, 
for  it  is  doubtful  if  a  cheap  .38-calibre  revolver  is  a  good  enough  weapon  to 
tackle  a  wild  cat  with. 


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THE   CAT. 

When  one  sees  a  sleek,  lazy,  contented  Cat  stretched  out  asleep  in  front 
of  the  fire,  it  is  hard  to  believe  that  she  is  first  cousin  to  the  tiger.  If  you 
want  proof  of  the  cat's  relationship  to  the  tiger,  watch  her  stalking  sparrows  in 
the  roadway.  She  creeps  nearer  and  nearer  her  prey,  taking  advantage  of  any 
shelter,  while  her  eyes  blaze  with  excitement,  and  ever)-  muscle  stands  out 
rigid  and  ready  for  the  fatal  spring.  Again,  look  at  the  infinite  patience  of  the 
cat  watching  a  mouse-hole.  It  sticks  to  its  post  for  days  together,  until  the 
poor  mouse  is  caught. 

Pussy  is  one  of  the  most  affectionate  of  animals.  As  far  back  as  history 
goes  she  has  always  been  a  household  pet.     In  Egypt  cats  were  worshipped. 

Hundreds  of  instances  might  be  given  of  the  cleverness  of  cats  and  kit- 
tens. Cats  will  learn  to  open  latched  doors,  to  pull  knockers,  and  ring  spring 
bells.  They  will  pick  up  odd  friendships  with  puppies  and  dogs,  and  have 
been  known  to  befriend  canaries,  rats,  pigeons,  chickens,  guinea-pigs,  frogs, 
and  other  strangers. 

There  is  a  well-known  story  in  France  of  a  cat  who,  after  sitting  in  its 
sick  mistress's  room  until  she  died,  visited  the  grave  and  was  found  lying 
dead  there,  apparently  of  grief. 

Cats  are  very  fond  of  their  young,  and  watch  over  them  just  as  human 
beings  do  over  their  babies.  An  interesting  story  of  a  cat's  bravery  is  the  fol- 
lowing : 

Some  kittens  belonging  to  a  farmer's  pet  cat  were  playing  in  the  yard, 
when  a  sparrow-hawk  swooped  down  and  carried  one  off.  Without  an  in- 
stant's pause,  puss  flew  off  to  the  fir-wood,  where  she  knew  the  hawk's  nest 
was.  She  came  to  the  tree  and  scrambled  up  it,  and  in  the  large  nest  at  the 
top  she  found  her  kitten  unharmed,  nestling  down  among  the  young  hawks. 
She  seized  it  in  her  mouth  and  carried  it  home.  When  the  hawk  appeared 
again  the  cat  was  on  the  watch,  caught  the  thief,  and,  in  spite  of  the  claws  and 
beak  of  the  hawk,  rolled  it  about  on  the  ground  until  it  was  glad  to  make 
its  escape  and  let  the  kittens  alone. 

The  domestic  cats  are  of  many  colors  and  sizes,  and  are  found  all  over 
the  world.  In  America,  the  Chinese  look  upon  the  cat  as  an  emblem  of  luck. 
Cats  are  excellent  hunters,  and  are  much  used  to  keep  rats  and  mice  away 
from  houses.  They  are  nocturnal  in  their  habits,  like  the  rest  of  their  tribe, 
only  instead  of  roaming  the  jungles,  they  parade  the  roofs  of  houses,  and  keep 
people  awake  with  their  mournful  cries. 


KITTENS. 


THE   LYNX. 


EUROPEAN    LYNX. 


The  European  Lynx  is  a  beautiful  animal,  much  sought  after  for  its  fur, 
which  is  finest  in  the  depths  of  winter,  for  it  is  fuller  and  richer  then.  The  lynx 
is  famous  for  its  quickness  of  sight,  which  has  indeed  become  proverbial,  like 
the  hearing  of  the  blind  mole.  Sheep  often  fall  victims  to  the  lynx,  but  it 
find  its  chief  food  among  hares,  rabbits,  and  other  small  animals.  It  is  also  an 
excellent  climber  of  trees,  and  chases  its  prey  among  the  branches  with  ease 
and  success.  Should  one  of  these  animals  be  suddenly  surprised,  it  endeavors 
to  sneak  off,  although  it  is  formidable  enough  when  brought  to  bay. 

The  Caracal  belongs  to  the  tribe  of  lynxes,  and  is  one  of  the  surliest 
and  most  untamable  of  all  animals.  Although  powerfully  built,  and  capable  of 
pulling  down  anything  of  its  size,  it  does  not  hesitate  to  feed  upon  the  re- 
mains of  a  carcass  slain  by  a  larger  animal. 

The  Southern  Lynx  is  another  beautiful  specimen  of  the  species  which 
inhabits  the  warmer  countries,  such  as  Spain  and  Portugal.  From  the  leopard- 
like spots  with  which  its  ruddy  chestnut  fur  is  covered,  it  derives  the  name  of 
Pardine  or  Spotted  Lynx. 


ror* 


■M~. 


CARACAL. 


SOUTHERN    LYNX. 


HUNTING    WITH    CHEETAHS. 


THE   CHEETAH. 


A    PAIR    OF    CHEETAHS. 


The  Cheetah  or  hunting  leopard  is  a  magnificent-looking  creature,  stand- 
ing higher  than  a  leopard,  but  without  the  latter's  enormous  strength.  The 
head  is  small  for  the  body,  and  the  limbs  are  long  and  slender.  The  cheetah 
is  found  in  Asia  and  Africa,  and  in  the  former  is  regarded  with  favor.  It  was 
noticed  in  India  that  whenever  the  creature  caught  a  deer,  it  commenced  at 
once  to  suck  its  blood.     Hence  the  idea  to  use  them  in  hunting. 

The  cheetah  is  blindfolded  and  carried  in  a  native  cart  until  some  game  is 
sighted.  Then  the  bandages  are  removed,  and  the  animal  usually  spies  the 
game  at  once.  The  cheetah  moves  forth  with  a  swift,  stealthy  motion,  never 
risking  showing  itself  until  it  is  quite  close.  Then  it  gives  one  powerful 
spring,  and  seldom  misses.  The  keepers  hurry  up  and  entice  it  away  with 
some  favorite  food,  or  the  blood  of  the  deer.  The  cheetah  is  then  rehooded 
and  taken  back  to  the  cart  until  more  game  is  found. 


THE   HYENA. 


LAUGHING   HYENAS. 


The  Spotted  or  Laughing  Hyena  is  the  most  famous  of  its  kind  This 
animal  is  the  kino-  of  scavengers,  and  in  hot  countries,  where  carcasses  are 
allowed  to  rot  in  the  sun,  it  is  of  immense  use.  The  name  laughing  hyena 
arises  from  the  idiotic,  hysterical  laugh  which  it  pours  forth,  accompanying  it 
with  the  wildest  gestures  of  body  and  limbs,  howling  and  dancing  about  on 
its  hind  legs  in  the  greatest  excitement.  As  long  as  the  hyenas  confine  them- 
selves to  scavenger-work  they  are  looked  upon  as  a  blessing ;  but  when  they 
become  too  numerous  they  do  fearful  damage  among  the  flocks  and  herds. 
In  spite  of  the  fact  that  they  are  armed  with  jaws  of  surpassing  strength,  they 
never  attack  an  animal  in  front.  A  good  illustration  of  this  is  the  following 
story : 

A  Boer  farmer  noticed  a  spotted  hyena  sneaking  about  his  cattle-corral 
shortly  after  he  had  railed  it  up  for  the  night.  The  hyena  passed  by  a  cow, 
who,  too  weak  to  escape,  stood  at  bay,  and  attacked  a  large  bull,  which  had 
turned  to  run  away.  After  the  fashion  of  hyenas,  the  brute  did  not  spring,  but 
fixed  its  teeth  in  the  flank  of  its  victim.    The  Boer  ended  the  matter  with  a  shot. 


APES    AND    MONKEYS. 

THE   GORILLA. 

The  largest  and  most  formidable  of  the  ape  tribe  is  the  Gorilla.  The 
animal  is  black,  with  dark  gray  eyes  with  a  wicked  lustre  in  them.  For  many 
years  the  reports  of  these  terrible  beasts  had  reached  Europe,  giving  the  im- 
pression that  it  was  a  myth  or  legend  of  the  slave-traders.  Travellers  who 
returned  to  Europe  brought  news  of  a  gigantic  race  of  hairy  savages  living  on 
the  west  coast  of  Africa.  Then  Paul  Du  Chaillu,  the  great  explorer,  brought 
home  a  true  account  of  the  huge  ape,  which  evidently  the  ignorant  natives  had 
taken  to  be  a  race  of  men;  but  even  then  the  truth  was  doubted.  At  last 
Du  Chaillu  brought  home  the  skin  and  skeleton  of  a  gorilla.  This  set  all 
doubts  at  rest.  The  specimen  was  found  to  stand  nearly  six  feet  high,  with 
shoulders  three  feet  wide,  and  arms  that  reached  almost  to  the  ground ;  but, 
above  all  things,  stood  out  the  unsurpassed  strength  of  these  apes. 

In  the  hunting-ground  Dr.  Chaillu  was  surprised  to  find  complete  silence 
over  everything.  Calling  to  mind  the  sayings  of  the  natives,  that  nothing 
could  live  near  the  gorilla,  he  found  no  birds  in  the  forest,  and  even  the  noisy 
tree-frogs  were  silent.  The  hunters  assured  him  that  these  signs  meant  that 
the  game  must  be  near.  After  walking  in  single  file  through  the  forest  for 
awhile,  they  stopped  to  consult,  and  noticed  that  the  gun-carrier,  who  was  the 
last  man  of  the  party,  was  missing.  Before  any  questions  could  be  asked,  the 
man's  dead  body  suddenly  fell  from  the  branches  far  above  them.  They  had 
passed  right  under  where  a  gorilla  was  sitting,  and  with  its  hind  foot  it  had 
gripped  up  the  last  man  and  killed  him.  This  proved  to  be  a  favorite  trick 
that  the  gorilla  plays  on  the  natives,  who  always  held  that  the  great  ape  was 
more  to  be  feared  than  the  lion. 

The  gorilla  in  this  instance  broke  cover  with  a  roar,  and  made  off  through 
the  branches  with  astonishing  speed,  in  spite  of  its  great  bulk  and  weight. 

A  female  and  young  one  were  found,  and  a  great  battle  began.  One 
hunter  had  his  gun  snatched  from  him  by  the  brute,  and  Du  Chaillu  was  as- 
tounded to  see  it  bent  and  twisted  in  the  creature's  hand  like  a  cane.  The 
female  showed  an  immense  store  of  vitality,  for  after  being  shot  several  times 
she  still  fought.  When  at  last  she  could  not  rise,  the  young  one  threw  itself 
upon  its  mother's  breast  with  a  strangely  human  cry.     This  baby  gorilla  was 


AN    ANGRY    GORILLA. 


THE    CHIMPANZEE. 

brought  to  England  and  caged  with  a  bull  terrier,  with  whom  it  made  great 
friends ;  but  in  spite  of  all  the  care  and  attention  it  died. 

Another  illustration  of  the  enormous  strength  of  the  gorilla  is  the  escape 
of  a  specimen  which  had  been  shipped  to  England,  and  placed  in  the  Zoologi- 
cal Gardens.  The  keeper  had  closed  up  for  the  night,  never  doubting  but  that 
his  charge  was  safe.  The  next  morning  he  was  astonished  to  find  that  the 
extra  strong  steel-bars  of  the  cage  had  been  wrenched  apart,  and  the  occupant 
was  nowhere  to  be  seen.  When  the  news  leaked  out  a  panic  ensued  in  the 
Garden  ;  but  the  gorilla  was  found  in  the  tunnel  under  the  roadway.  The 
strong  cage  that  it  had  been  brought  in  was  still  handy,  and  the  huge  beast 
was  coaxed  mto  it  once  more. 

THE  CHIMPANZEE. 

The  Chimpanzee  is  also  an  inhabitant  of  the  west  coast  of  Africa,  being 
fairly  numerous  in  the  Gaboon  country.  It  was  supposed  at  one  time  to  be  a 
young  gorilla,  but  it  has  since  been  clearly  placed  in  a  class  by  itself.  The 
chimpanzee  has  the  most  intelligent  face  of  all  the  ape  tribes,  using  its  lips 
to  show  hate,  pleasure,  or  rage.  It  is  not  able  to  stand  erect,  but  moves  along 
resting  its  hands  knuckles  down,  instead  of  on  the  palms.  It  has  been  proved 
that  the  chimpanzee  has  one  singular  habit  in  common  with  the  orang-utan 
of  Sumatra,  namely,  that  of  building  a  sort  of  hammock-nest.  Only  the  female 
and  young  occupy  this  nest,  while  the  male  stations  himself  on  top.  Chim- 
panzees are  really  ground  apes,  preferring  rocky,  broken  country  to  the  forest. 
Their  food  consists  entirely  of  vegetable  matter,  and  it  is  impossible  to  raise 
any  crops  near  one  of  their  colonies. 

Many  travellers  have  claimed  that  the  chimpanzees  carry  clubs,  and  there 
seems  to  be  no  reason  to  doubt  it.  They  may  have  copied  the  natives  they 
have  seen,  for  their  imitative  ability  is  well  known,  but  as  it  has  been  proved 
that  they  cannot  stand  erect,  it  is  almost  impossible  for  them  to  use  clubs  to 
fight  with.  They  have  enormous  strength  in  the  arms,  but  greatest  in  the 
hands.  A  chimpanzee  is  able  easily  to'  snap  a  branch  that  would  be  far  be- 
yond the  strength  of  a  couple  of  men. 

Another  curious  thing  about  these  apes  is  that  they  live  in  social  bands, 
and  at  sundown  may  be  heard  barking  and  yelling  before  they  settle  down  for 
the  night.  Though  a  chimpanzee  would  not  risk  a  fight  alone  with  a  panther 
or  other  large  animal,  yet  even  an  elephant  will  turn  aside  rather  than  face  an 
angry  crowd  of  these  apes.     Chimpanzees  seldom  travel  alone,  and  if  one  is 


CHIMPANZEE. 


THE   ORANG-UTAN. 

attacked  it  raises  a  shrill  cry,  and  at  once  all  the  chimpanzees  near  by  flock  to 
the  rescue.  When  a  band  of  these  apes  is  engaged  in  feeding,  they  set  a  sen- 
tinel to  guard,  who,  on  the  slightest  sign  of  an  alarm,  utters  a  loud  cry,  which 
is  said  to  resemble  a  human  being  in  agony.  It  is  promptly  answered  by 
loud  barks  and  yells,  which  are  increased  as  the  alarm  spreads.  They  flock  to 
battle,  for  they  are  very  ferocious,  or  else  decamp  rapidly. 

A  fine  specimen  of  a  chimpanzee,  better  known  now  as  the  late  lamented 
"  Sally,"  lived  for  many  years  at  the  Zoo,  in  London,  where,  from  the  fact  that 
it  was  so  intensely  human,  being  able  to  do  almost  everything  but  talk,  it  was 
very  popular. 

THE   ORANG-UTAN. 

The  Orang-Utan,  or  Mias,  is  a  native  of  Sumatra  and  Borneo.  It  is 
quite  large,  standing  often  five  feet  high,  with  arms  that  reach  the  ground,  and 
its  body  covered  with  long,  coarse,  reddish-brown  hair.  Perhaps  of  all  the 
great  apes  it  is  the  most  unsociable  and  indolent.  The  orang-utan  is  able  to 
weave  a  nest  of  branches  with  amazing  rapidity,  and  likes  to  sleep  in  it  un- 
til disturbed,  or  hunger  compels  it  to  move.  In  spite  of  its  indolent  nature,  it 
is  a  frightful  antagonist  when  roused.  Its  strength  surpasses  that  of  the  great- 
est animals  in  its  own  country,  while  it  is  possessed  of  terrible  dog-like  teeth, 
which,  as  it  is  only  a  vegetable-eater,  are  only  used  for  purposes  of  attack  or 
defence. 

Russell,  the  great  naturalist,  was  one  of  the  first  men  to  call  attention  to 
the  orang-utan,  and  he  is  said  to  have  captured  the  first  of  these  live  ani- 
mals which  was  seen  in  England.  Owing  to  the  ape's  resistance,  it  is 
often  fatally  wounded  before  it  can  be  captured.  When  young,  the  orang- 
utan display  great  affection,  but  become  morose  and  sullen  as  they  grow 
older.  A  young  orang-utan  was  brought  to  England  on  a  ship  from  Su- 
matra, and  was  very  fond  of  annoying  the  other  monkeys  on  board.  Owing 
to  its  strength  it  held  sway,  and  the  sailors  had  often  to  prevent  it  from  throw- 
ing a  youngster  overboard. 

One  day  a  sailor  left  a  large  pot  of  white  paint  unguarded  on  the  deck. 
The  orang-utan  saw  it,  and,  seizing  the  brush,  fell  like  a  thunder-bolt  among 
the  astonished  monkeys,  and  scattered  the  paint  right  and  left.  The  whole 
thing  took  only  a  few  seconds,  but  hardly  a  monkey  escaped  a  daubing,  while 
the  orang-utan  scrambled  up  the  mast  to  a  safe  distance  and  surveyed  the 
scene,  shaking  and  chattering  with  excitement. 


AN    ORAXG    AND    YOUNG. 


THE   GIBBON. 


GIBBONS    (/s   Natural  Size). 

The  Gibbons  are  the  fairy- 
monkeys  of  the  trees,  spending  al- 
most as  much  time  in  the  air  as 
among  the  branches.  The  gibbon 
forms  a  link  between  the  great  apes, 
the  baboons,  and  lesser  monkeys. 
Like  the  other  apes,  they  are  tail- 
less, and  have  an  enormous  devel- 
opment of  arm-power.  The  gigan- 
tic gorilla  and  chimpanzee  are  both 
cree-dwellers,  but  neither  of  them  would  attempt  feats  like  the  gibbon, 
which  is  able  to  spring  through  space  in  travelling  from  tree  to  tree.  Ow- 
ing to  this  wonderful  power,  ;t  has  been  given  by  the  naturalists  the  name  ot 
"  hylobate,"  meaning  "  tree  traverser." 

The  Silvery  Gibbon  derives  its  name  from  the  silver-gray  color  of  its  fur. 


THE   ENTELLUS    MONKEY. 


On  some  parts  of  the  body  there 
is  a  trace  of  brown,  while  the 
hands  are  dark  -  colored.  The 
eyes  of  all  the  gibbon  family  are 
large  and  deeply  sunk  in  the 
',  head.  The  gibbon's  size  is  about 
i  thirty  inches.  The  Malaccas  are 
the  home  of  the  gibbons,  where 
they  live  their  gay  life  amid  the 
high  trees  and  cane-fields. 

THE  ENTELLUS  MONKEY. 

The  Entellus  Monkey  is 
a  native  of  India.  It  is  not  small, 
by  any  means,  measuring  nearly 
thirty-six  inches  in  length,  not 
counting  the  tail.  They  belong 
to  the  family  of  Indian  monkeys 
that  is  sacred.  This  fact  makes 
them  very  bold  and  impudent. 
They  enter  villages,  sit  in  the 
porches  and  sills  (preferably 
those  of  the  pastry  -  cook  and 
corn  -  sellers),  and  from  there 
steal  when  the  master's  back  is 
turned,  while  the  poor  pastry- 
cook is  not  allowed  to  revenge  himself,  but  simply  sighs  and  keeps  a  better 
watch. 

The  origin  of  this  monkey-reverence  is  said  to  lie  in  the  fact  that  its  skel- 
eton bears  some  resemblance  to  man,  and  the  natives  believe  that  the  souls  of 
the  departed  come  back,  and  are  reincarnated  in  the  monkeys.  To  molest 
one  would  rouse  the  whole  village  to  fury,  and  there  are  many  instances  on 
record  where  hunters  have  come  to  grief  by  doing  so. 

Though  these  monkeys  live  a  secluded  life  under  human  protection, 
there  is  always  one  deadly  enemy  on  the  watch,  the  snake,  which  crawls 
stealthily  after  them  among  the  branches.  The  monkey,  grown  careless 
through  life  with  man,  falls  an  easy  victim  to  the  snake's  fangs.  When  a 
snake  is  discovered,  the  wThole  neighborhood  boils  with  excitement,  and  the 


GIBBON    (',.,„  Natural  Size) 


THE   ENTELLUS    MONKEY. 


yelling  band  pelts  and  :y!^$M^:M/^^^^^:^\^V  harasses  the  invader,  al- 
ways keeping  well  out  ' :J^^^''^^^^^'-}^  of  its  way,  however. 
Occasionally    the    tables    ''  -t^"  /a';'^ f^  are  turned,  for  if  a  mon- 

key finds  a  snake  asleep  o^i.^pTOiii  -:  Gn  a  high  tree,  it  creeps 

down    to    assure     itself  ,M      '--  that  it  is  no  trick.    Then 

it  will  do  one  of  two  things,  either  push  the  snake  off  suddenly  from  its  perch, 
hoping  that  the  fall  will  injure  it,  or,  boldly  seizing  it  behind  the  head,  scam- 
per with  it  to  the  ground.    There  it  will  dash  its  head  against  a, wall  or  among 


THE   GREEN    MONKEY. 

stones,  pausing  every  once  in  awhile  to  see  how  the  work  is  progressing. 
Once  the  fangs  are  crushed,  so  as  to  be  harmless,  the  poor  reptile  is  thrown 
among  the  young  monkeys,  who  torment  it  still  further,  until  it  is  dead. 
When  the  entellus  monkey  is  not  living  near  a  village,  it  carries  on  its 
raids  in  much  the  same  manner  among  the  jungle-folk.  Should  a  tiger  ap- 
pear, the  monkey  climbs  to  the  highest  branches,  and  from  there  insults  the 
royal  beast  below. 

The  long  tail  of  the  species  does  not  seem  to  be  of  much  benefit  to  the 
owner,  unless,  perhaps,  for  balancing  purposes ;  but  as  a  fifth  arm  it  is  never 
used.  The  general  color  of  this  monkey  is  a  dark  grayish-brown,  although 
when  young  it  is  several  shades  lighter.  The  hands  and  feet  are  black,  and 
there  is  also  some  black  around  the  head. 


GREEN   MONKEY. 

The  Green  Monkeys  are  natives  of  Senegal,  on  the  west  coast  of  Africa. 
They  are  often  seen  in  Europe  and  America,  owing  to  their  being  well 
adapted  to  our  rigorous  climate.  They  are  famous  for  the  beauty  of  their 
silky  fur.  They  are  not  liked  by  the  natives,  owing  to  their  thieving  habits. 
One  green  monkey  is  not  a  serious  thing,  but  a  number  will  work  fearful 
havoc  in  a  very  short  time.  They  destroy  ruthlessly,  tearing  clown  more  than 
they  can  eat  or  carry  away. 

DIANA   MONKEY. 

Who  has  visited  any  zoological  collection  and  failed  to  see  the  beautiful 
white-bearded  Diana  Monkey  ?  This  spotless,  fussy  little  creature  is  the 
most  beautiful  of  all  the  monkey  tribes.  Although  the  diana  monkey  is  a 
tropical  animal,  it  lives  well  in  captivity,  and,  from  the  cleanliness  of  its  habits, 
makes  a  good  pet.     A  proof  of  its  fussy  habits  is  shown  in  the  following : 

A  diana  monkey  was  once  given  a  peach  through  the  bars  of  its  cage,  and 
on  account  of  the  angry  mutterings  of  the  monkeys  around  it,  the  little  creat- 
ure feared  it  would  be  stolen  from  it.  After  the  peach  was  eaten,  the  stone  had 
been  cracked  and  the  kernel  extracted  and  finished,  the  white  beard  under  its 
chin  was  stained  with  peach-juice.  The  monkey  was  much  disturbed,  and 
went  to  work  and  cleaned  it  until  every  speck  of  dirt  and  stain  had  gone,  and 
its  fur  stood  out  as  fluffy  as  before. 


■  -     -     ■    "' 


A    BAND    OF    GREEN    MONKEYS    LOOTING    A   GARDEN. 


THE   MACAQUE. 

The   Macaques  are  a  larqe 

—  o 

family  of  monkeys  that  dwell  in 
Asia.  They  are  found  all  over 
India  and  Ceylon,  where  they  are 
protected  as  sacred  beings.  Their 
name  macaque  comes  from  the 
word  macaco,  which,  on  the  coast 
of  Guinea,  means  the  same  as  our 
English  word  monkey.  They  are 
bright,  active,  and  insolent  in  the 
extreme.  The  natives  regard 
them  as  sacred,  therefore  the 
white  man  does  not  dare  interfere 
or  beat  them  off,  for  fear  of  rais- 
ins; the  anger  of  the  natives. 

These  monkeys  delight  in 
gathering  in  large  bands,  and 
then  seeking  out  some  being  to 
torment.  A  poor  old,  sleepy 
crocodile  offers  fair  sport,  and 
they  shout  and  yell  at  him.     This 

DIANA    MONKEY   (#  Natural  Size).  he       pUtS     Up     with     patiently,     bllt 

when  the  insolent  monkeys  begin  to  hurl  cocoa-nuts,  mud,  stones — anything 
they  can  lay  their  hands  to — he  returns  grunting  to  a  quieter  part  of  the  river. 
It  has  been  said  that  the  macaques  will  hustle  dogs  away,  although  a  fox-ter- 
rier would  easily  out-match  a  single  macaque. 


RHESUS   MONKEY. 


The  Rhesus  Monkey — the  monkey  made  famous  by  Kipling  in  his 
Jungle  Stories — is  the  true  Bander  of  the  Hindoos.  They  have  a  restless, 
quarrelsome  disposition,  and  appear  to  lead  aimless  lives.  As  they  are  an- 
other branch  of  the  sacred  monkeys  of  India,  they  feel  at  liberty  to  plunder 
the  stores  and  gardens  of  their  protectors  without  showing  the  slightest  fear. 
It  has  been  agreed  on  all  sides  that  for  cunning  and  insolence  they  have  no 
equal. 

A  district  magistrate  in  Bengal  had  a  number  of  fine  peach-trees,  the  fruit 
of  which  he  was  very  proud,  and  therefore  anxious  to  save.     Now  the  local 


MACAQUES   TEASING  A   CROCODILE. 


THI     RHESUS    MONKEY. 


Rhesus  monkeys  had  also  taken  a  fancy  to  these  same  peaches,  and  forthwith  a 
war  began  between  the  man  and  the  beasts.  First  of  all,  a  Hindoo  was  put 
on  guard,  but  the  monkeys  cared  little  or  nothing  for  him,  well  knowing  that 
his  caste  and  religion  forbade  him  injuring  them.  Now  the  white  man  in  In- 
dia does  not  care  an  atom  for  the  monkey,  for  he  has  no  scruples  about  their 
sanctity,  and  if  they  steal  from  him,  he  punishes  them  as  much  as  he  dares 
without  offending  the  natives.  So  a  white  man  mounted  guard  over  the  peach- 
trees.  The  monkeys  came  into  the  orchard  boldly  enough,  but  the  man 
chased  them  off,  using  his  stick  freely.     The  marauders,  astonished  beyond 


RHESUS    MONKEYS    ('4   Natural  Size). 

measure,  retired  to  the  top  of  the  high  trees  to  consult.  For  a  long  time  they 
coughed,  chattered,  pulled  tails,  and  shook  the  branches  with  excitement  and 
rage  until  they  agreed  upon  a  plan.  They  divided  into  bands.  First  one 
would  pretend  to  enter  the  orchard,  and  when  the  guard  flew  at  them  another 
band  would  swarm  over  the  bamboo  fence  and  scramble  up  the  trees,  shaking 
the  branches  and  causing  a  shower  of  ripe,  golden  peaches.  Meanwhile  others 
would  scamper  round  on  the  ground,  grabbing  up  what  they  could,  and  then 


BARDARY    APES. 


once  more  retire,  chattering  with  delight,  to  the  safety  of  the  high  trees.  The 
sun  being  hot  and  the  man  out  of  breath,  he  naturally  lost  his  temper  and 
went  for  a  gun.  This  did  not  trouble  the  monkeys,  for  they  had  seen  weapons 
pointed  at  them  before,  but  never  fired.  The  man  rushed  to  the  fence  upon 
which  a  number  of  monkeys  were  still  perched,  and,  picking  out  one  offender, 
he  fired.  The  poor  creature  set  up  a  howl  of  pain  as  it  fell,  and  then,  to  the 
amazement  of  the  man,  held  out  to  him  its  bloody,  shattered,  little  hand.  In 
a  moment  or  two  it  toppled  over  dead,  and,  regardless  of  the  danger,  the 
other  monkeys  scrambled  over  the  fence  and  bore  the  body  away.  The  result 
was  that  the  monkeys  retired  from  that  spot,  and  the  magistrate  gathered  his 
peaches  in  peace  ;  but  the  man  never  after  raised  a  gun  to  a  monkey. 


v^^$N\\ 


BARBARY  APES. 


BARBARY    APES. 


The    Barbary    Apes,   or    Magots,   are   inhabitants   of   Northern    Africa, 
fhey  also   have   the  only  ape  foothold   in  Europe,  on  the  Rock   of  Gibraltar 


THE   BARBARY  APE. 


There  is  a  very  fine  legend  among  the  Arabs  to  the  effect  that  these  apes 
crossed  from  Africa  to  Gibraltar  by  climbing  to  the  top  of  a  peak  on  the  Afri- 
can side,  and  taking  hold  of  tails  until  a  long  chain  was  formed,  and  then 
swinging  back  and  forth  until  the  end  monkey  caught  hold  of  the  Rock  of  Gib- 
raltar. The  others  passed  over  on  the  bridge  thus  formed,  and  the  apes  on 
the  African  side  let  go.  This  is  an  excellent  story ;  but  the  Straits  of  Gibral- 
tar are  nearly  twenty  miles  wide,  and  the  Barbary  apes  have  no  tails.  It  is 
believed  that  these  apes  were  brought  to  Gibraltar  by  the  Moors. 

The  size  of  this  ape  is  about  twen- 
ty-eight inches,  and  its  general  color  is  of 
a  grayish -brown.  They  are  fairly  com- 
mon in  a  domestic  state  in  Europe,  fre- 
quently being  seen  in  an  undignified 
position  on  top  of  an  Italian  barrel-or- 
gan. While  young,  these  apes  are  very 
gentle,  but  as  they  grow  older  they  be- 
come morose  and  fierce.  In  captivity 
they  frequently  lose  their  natural  intelli- 
gence and  liveliness,  and  relapse  intc 
utter  stupidity.  Like  many  other  species, 
the  Barbary  apes  swarm  with  parasites, 
and  it  is  an  odd  sight  to  see  them  care- 
fully examining  each  other's  fur.  They 
are  never  so  pleased,  when  in  captivity, 
as  to  be  allowed  to  over-haul  a  dog,  or 
other  animal,  every  now  and  then  chuck- 
ling as  they  find  something.  The  climb- 
ing cats  stir  things  up  among  the  apes 
of  Gibraltar,  and  though  it  is  difficult  to 
approach  near  enough  to  watch  their 
actual  doings,  a  strong  glass  brings  them  within  observation  range. 

A  wild  cat  was  stealthily  making  its  way  toward  a  group  of  apes,  when  it 
was  discovered,  and  a  shrill  yell  from  one  of  the  apes  threw  the  whole  colony 
into  the  wildest  excitement,  the  old  males  first  hurried  the  females  off,  who 
carried  the  young  with  them,  and  then  lined  up  in  formidable  array.  The  cat 
looked  disgusted,  and  tried  to  assume  a  different  air,  as  if  it  had  stumbled  upon 
them  quite  by  accident.  The  apes,  chattering  loudly,  advanced  a  step  or  two. 
and    thereupon    the    cat,    with    a  fierce  snarl,  retired.     After   awhile  matters 


WAXDEROO    (V,o  Natural  Size). 


THE   TEE-TEE. 


quieted  down,  but  within  an  hour  that  same  cat  sprang  in  among  a  group  of 
apes,  seized  one,  and  before  .the  chattering  mob  could  recover  from  its  surprise, 
the  marauder  had  fled.  The  night-time  is  when  the  wild  cat  commits  the  most 
havoc  among  the  apes.  The  apes  live  on  the  Mediterranean  side  of  Gibraltar. 
They  are  tolerably  secure  there,  as  hardly  anyone  would  venture  out  upon  the 
terrible  precipices. 

The  military  authorities  have  done  their  best  to  protect  the  apes.  They 
are  not  of  any  use,  but  as  they  are  the  only  members  of  the  ape  family  in 
Europe,  they  think  it  would  be  a  pity  to  allow  them  to  be  shot. 


THE   WANDEROO. 


The  Wanderoo  lives  in  Ceylon,  and  is  famous  for  the  curious  growth  of 
hair  around  the  face,  which  gives  it 
a  venerable  appearance.  It  has  a 
curious  custom  of  always  filling  its 
pouches  with  food  before  satisfying 
its  hunger.  In  captivity  it  is  ex- 
ceedingly treacherous  and  ill-tem- 
pered. 


THE  TEE-TEE. 

The  Tee-Tee  is  a  tiny  little 
creature  that  lives  in  Brazil.  It  is 
one  of  the  most  intelligent  of  all 
the  monkey  tribes,  and  therefore 
makes  a  delightful  pet.  There  is 
one  serious  drawback,  however, 
and  that  is  that  the  tee-tee  is  very 
delicate,  and  unless  it  is  carefully 
watched  it  will  die.  Even  when 
kept  about  a  Brazilian  house,  the 
tee-tee  must  not  be  placed  near 
draughts,  or  anything  damp.  It  is 
seldom  seen  in  this  country. 


TEE-TEE    (}j   Natural  Size). 


ANGRY  BABOONS. 


THE   BABOON. 


BABOON. 

We  now  come  to  another  famous  branch  of  the  monkey  tribes,  the 
Baboons,  whose  chief  home  is  in  Abyssinia  and  Nubia.  They  live  among 
rocks  and  cliffs,  but  at  the  same  time  are  excellent  tree-climbers.  These  dog- 
faced  creatures  are  considered  one  of  the  greatest  curiosities  living.  They 
are  worth  watching  when  in  captivity,  for  they  sit  with  an  almost  comically 
grave  expression  on  their  faces,  or  else  walk  around  with  a  curious  swagger- 
ing gait.  The  baboons  have  a  mane,  more  or  less  developed  in  various  spe- 
cies, which  gives  them  a  most  evil  appearance  when  wild.  They  live  in  large 
colonies,  and  absolutely  rule  the  country  around  them.  They  walk  on  all 
fours,  very  much  like  a  dog,  and  when  disturbed  break  into  a  swift  gallop. 


• 


GELADA    ('  ia  Natural  Size). 


Baboons,  great  and  small,  arc  armed  with  terrible  teeth,  both  from  a  point 
of  strength  and  sharpness.  Many  explorers  testify  to  the  tricks  which  these 
creatures  will  play  on  their  enemies.  When  hunted,  baboons  always  try  to 
run  off,  but  should  they  be  cornered,  they  turn  on  the  hunter,  grip  him  by  the 
throat,  and  then  tear  themselves  away,  causing  a  terrible  wound,  which  is  al- 
most immediately  fatal.  The  Gelada  of  this  family  is  specially  famous  for  its 
strength  and  length  of  mane.  Like  all  the  rest  of  the  baboons,  it  is  very 
quarrelsome,  and  always  ready  to  attack  an  enemv.  The  mothers  carry  the 
young  ones  on  their  back  until  they  are  strong  enough  to  go  alone. 


THE   MANDRILL. 


The  Mandrill  is  the  mightiest  of  the  baboons.  There  is  hardly  any 
other  creature  in  the  animal  kingdom  that  is  so  extraordinarily  marked,  for  on 
either  side  of  the  snout  (which,  by  the  way,  is  colored  a  fiery  red)  are  broad 
bands  of  purple,  blue,  and  scarlet.  The  effect  is  hideous,  showing  an  animal 
utterly  brutal  and  ferocious.  So  terrible  is  the  mandrill  that  it  drives  every- 
thing away,  including  the  elephant,  while  lions  have  been  known  to  succumb 
to  an  onslaught  from  these  beasts. 

They  live  in  the  forests,  and  from  there  frequently  descend  upon  the  vil- 
lages. They  care  little  about  the  natives,  plunder  everything  in  sight,  and 
carry  their  booty  away  to  the  woods. 

When  caged  the  mandrill  shows  a  marked  preference  for  female  visitors, 
and  may  be  approached  bv  them  when  men  would  not  dare  to  venture.  It  is 
exceedingly  jealous,  and,  curiously  enough,  displays  fierce  anger  if  attentions 
are  shown  to  any  of  its  lady  favorites.  It  is  absolutely  untamable,  and  if  in- 
jured will  go  off  into  the  wildest  gusts  of  passion,  which  have  been  known  to 
end  in  death.  It  will  nurse  a  revenge  for  months,  and  even  feign  mildness, 
stealthily  waiting  for  an  opportunity  to  retaliate. 


THE    HOWLERS. 


The  Howling  Monkeys  of  South  America  have  earned  a  bad  name  for 
themselves.  Owing  to  a  curious  formation  of  bones  in  the  throat  they  are  able 
to  utter  a  loud  cry  with  great  force.  These  monkeys  collect  in  vast  numbers, 
and,  unlike  the  Asiatic  and  African  monkeys  of  similar  habits  which  cry  singly, 
they  howl  in  chorus,  apparently  under  a  leader,  and  the  effect  on  a  still  night 
can  be  imagined.  They  are  good  imitators,  frequently  mocking  the  jaguar. 
Hour  after  hour  they  keep  up  the  concert,  which  can  be  easily  heard  a  mile 
away. 

The  natives  of  Brazil  have  a  curious  way  of  catching  these  monkeys. 
They  fasten  an  empty  cocoa-nut  shell  to  the  ground,  fill  it  with  rice  that  the 
monkeys  love,  and  which  can  only  be  gotten  out  through  a  hole  just  the  size 
of  the  monkey's  hand.     The  natives  retire  and  watch,  and  down  comes  the 


THE   SAI    MONKEY. 


inquisitive  monkey.  As  soon  as  it  discovers  the  hole  it  pushes  its  hand  in  and 
grasps  a  fist  full  of  rice,  and,  of  course,  it  cannot  draw  the  hand  out.  The  na- 
tives run  up,  and  the  monkey  is  actually  too  stupid  or  greedy  to  let  the  rice 
go,  and  so  is  easily  captured. 


SAI    MONKEYS. 


SAI    MONKEY. 

The  Sai  Monkeys  belong  to  the  Capucin  family,  and  are  famous  for  their 
bright,  active  ways,  and  gentle  dispositions.  All  of  this  family  of  monkeys  is 
found  in  great  numbers  in  Brazil.  The  Sais'  tails  are  very  strong,  and,  as  in 
the  case  of  a  great  many  South  American  monkeys,  they  use  them  to  swing 
by.  These  little  fellows  prefer  vegetable  matter  to  eat,  but  will  not  refuse 
insects  and  eggs.  In  all  the  forests  near  the  Equator,  when  you  hear  a  great 
uproar  among  the  colonies  of  nesting  birds,  it  generally  means  an  invasion 
from  a  snake  or  a  prowling  sai.  They  are  clever  and  intelligent,  and  are  fre- 
quently seen  in  this  country  in  a  tame  state. 


NIGHT    MONKEY. 

The  curious  owl-eyed  little  animal 
in  the  picture,  called  the  Night  Mon- 
key, is  an  inhabitant  of  the  South  Amer- 
ican forests.  During  the  heat  of  the 
noon-day  sun  it  sleeps  in  a  hollow  tree ; 
then  at  twilight  it  stretches  itself,  and 
comes  out,  and  from  that  time  to  day- 
light the  forest  has  no  more  bright,  act- 
ive little  hunter.  Hence  the  name, 
"  night  monkey."  Its  voice  is  very  loud 
considering  its  size.  It  also  emits  a 
kind  of  a  roar,  not  unlike  the  jaguar, 
which  causes  great  excitement  among 
the  other  monkeys.  The  night  monkey 
can  mew  like  a  cat,  and,  which  is  most 
wonderful  of  all,  can  accurately  imitate  a 


^9'K 


NIGHT    MONKEY    (■+    Natural  Size). 

snake's  hiss.  When  the  night 
monkey  is  angry  or  excited  it 
breaks  into  a  loud,  chattering 
bark.  They  do  not  live  in  colo- 
nies, but  keep  in  pairs,  except 
when  the  little  ones  are  born. 

SLENDER   LORIS. 

The  Slender  Loris  is  a 
quaint  little  creature  hailing  from 
Madagascar,  Ceylon,  and  the 
Malayan  Islands.  The  loris  is 
barely  nine  inches  high,  and  its 
limbs  are  slightly  built,  hence 
arises  its  surname,  "  slender."  It 
is  a  Q-ood  hunter  in  its  own  ior- 
ests,  moving  through  the  trees 
with    marvellous    swiftness    and 


SLENDER    LORIS. 


precision. 


THE  AYE-AYE. 


Sonnerat,  the  trav- 
eller, while  in  Mada- 
gascar, captured  a  little 
animal  that  he  had 
never  seen  before.  He 
showed  it  to  the  na- 
tives, who  were  greatly 
surprised,  and  clapped 
their  hands  with  cries  of 
astonishment,  and  from 
that  the  Aye- Aye  got 
its  name.  The  little 
creature  is  brown,  with 
black  feet,  large  eyes 
and  ears,  is  almost  des- 
titute of  hair,  and  has 
claws  of  great  length 
and  delicacy.  In  ap- 
pearance it  is  rather 
like  a  rat,  with  a  large 
bushy  tail  and  slender 
claws.  It  differs  from 
all  other  species.  The 
naturalists  now  believe 
it  to  be  the  missing 
link  between  the  mon- 
key and  the  gnawing 
animals.  It  is  very  shy 
and  very  rare,  being 
only  found  over  a  small 
part  of  Madagascar,  and 
considering  its  strictly 
nocturnal  habits,  it  is 
not  so  wonderful  that  the  natives  had  never  discovered  it.  One  great  point 
where  the  aye-aye  differs  from  the  rest  of  the  four-handed  animals,  is  that  the 
latter  suckle  their  young  from  the  breast,  but  the  aye-aye  never  does  this,  its 
milk-giving  organs  being  in  the  lower  part  of  the  abdomen.  Its  Latin  name 
means  "  mouse-handed." 


AYE-AYES    (</3    Natural  Size). 


THE  GAL  AGO. 


The  Galago  is  another  nocturnal  little 
creature  living  near  the  Limpopo  River  in 
South  Africa.  It  leaps,  monkey  -  fashion, 
from  tree  to  tree,  with  great  accuracy. 


THE   COLUGO. 

The  Colugos,  popularly  known  as  the 
"  flying  foxes,"  seem  to  come  between  the 
four-footed  animals  and  the  wing-handed 
animals.  A  hunter  who  pursued  one  of 
these  little  creatures  chased  it  into  a  tree, 
when,  to  his  surprise,  it  took  a  flying  leap 
into  the  air  and  landed  into  another  tree,  a 


GALAGO 


Natural  Size). 


COLUGO    (%  Natural  Size). 


distance  which,  on  measurement, 
proved  to  be  eighty  yards  away. 
He  managed  to  shoot  the  colugo, 
however,  and  found  that  its  front 
and  hind  feet  were  joined  by  a 
fur-covered  natural  skin,  similar  to 
the  bat's,  instead  of  a  membrane, 
as  he  believed.  In  walking,  this 
skin  is  so  closely  wrapped  to  the 
body  that  it  hardly  attracts  atten- 
tion. The  colugo  flies  like  a  kite, 
always  starting  for  a  point  lower 
than  its  starting-place. 


The  Vampire  Bat  is  a  native 
of  South  America.  It  is  very  fond 
of  the  blood  of  human  beings 
and  animals.  At  one  time  it  was 
believed  that  people  died  from 
wounds  given  by  them.  Chickens, 
cats,  and  dogs  die  from  such  attacks, 
but  nothing  larger.  The  vampire 
alights    on    the    toe    of   a   sleeping 


BATS. 


THE    BAT 


VAMPIRE    BAT    (%   Natural  Size). 


man,  makes  a  tiny  puncture  with  its  sharp  tooth,  and  proceeds  to  draw  the 
blood,  but  in  the  cases  of  horses  and  cattle  it  selects  the  shoulders  and  flanks 
to  operate  upon.  After  all,  the  main  diet  of  the  bat  species  is  insects.  It  is 
interesting"  to  examine  the  ground  near  where  bats  are  resting  and  see  the 
marvellous  collection  of  beautiful  insect  wings  scattered  around.  Bats  make 
their  homes  in  church-steeples,  barns,  and  out-houses,  where  they  lay  quietly 
all  day,  hanging  head  down,  after  the  fashion  of  their  kind.  Then  as  the  sun 
goes  down  they  come  out  in  thousands.  In  the  country  they  fly  over  the  rich 
meadows  and  edges  of  the  woods,  while  in  cities  they  buzz  around  the  electric 
lights,  which  attract  vast  numbers  of  insects.  Bats  have  always  been  a  source 
of  much  superstition  and  dread.  In  many  parts  of  England  a  bat  flying  in  at 
a  window  is  supposed  to  foretell  a  death,  or  if  one  should  alight  upon  a 
horse  or  cow  the  owner  will  expect  some  bad  luck.  The  scientific  name  of 
the  bat  means  "  wing-handed." 


CIVETS    AND    ICHNEUMONS. 


The  true  home  of  the  Civet  is  in  Abyssinia,  although  it  is  found  over  the 
whole  of  Northern  Africa.  This  curious  creature  carries  a.  scent-pouch,  under 
the  abdomen  and  near  the  tail,  from  which  is  obtained  a  precious  secretion, 
which  is  much  prized  on  account  of  its  perfume.  At  one  time  the  civets  were 
killed,  and  the  secretion  extracted  ;  but  it  proved  too  expensive,  for  the  quan- 
titv  was  very  small.  A  much  better  plan  was  put  into  operation ;  namely,  that 
of  keeping  the  animal  carefully  caged,  and  removing  the  perfume  as  it  was 
produced.  This  latter  operation  is  no  easy  task,  for  a  civet  is  so  built  as  to 
be  able  to  turn  any  way,  and  use  its  claws  and  teeth  with  dangerous  effect. 
On  attempting  to  handle  one  of  these  animals  it  backs  away  with  angry 
growls,  and  fights  desperately.  It  is  said  that  the  secretion  is  extracted  now 
by  placing  the  civet  in  a  narrow  box,  where  it  cannot  turn  and  bite  back. 
Naturalists  have  never  determined  yet  to  what  use  the  secretion  was  put,  for 
when  the  civet  is  in  its  wild  state  it  forms  into  a  mass  about  the  size  of  a  nut, 
and  the  secretion  is  periodically  discharged. 

In  habits  the  civet  is  nocturnal,  and  is  very  hard  to  rouse  during  the  day- 
time. If  poked  up  with  a  stick  it  only  settles  again,  and  if  the  persecution  is 
continued  it  growls,  but  will  not  bestir  itself. 

The  length  of  the  civet  is  usually  three  feet.  It  is  beautifully  marked 
in  black  and  white,  while  its  eyes  are  of  a  dark  shade  of  brown. 


CIVETS   AND    ICHNEUMONS. 


The  Ichneumon  plays  much  the  same  part  in  Egypt  that  trie  moongus. 
does  in  India.  It  is  a  veritable  reptile-destroyer,  and  also  turns  its  attention 
to  rats,  mice,  lizards,  and  other  pests.  In  Egypt  one  of  the  most  dreaded  of 
creatures  is  the  crocodile,  and  odd  as  it  may  seem,  the  ichneumon  is  its  most 
deadly  enemy.  These  clever  little  creatures  watch  where  the  crocodiles  hide 
their  eggs,  and  then  directly  they  are  left  unguarded  they  creep  down  to  the 
place  and  dig  them  up  and  eat  them,  with  the  result  that  each  year  hundreds 
of  young  crocodiles  are  thus  destroyed. 

The  ichneumon  is  regarded  with  much  favor,  and  does  not  hesitate  to  ap- 
proach human  habitations.  The  ichneumon  is  capable  of  moving  about  very 
quietly.  A  man  might  be  in  the  same  room  with  one,  yet  he  would  not  hear 
it  running  to  and  fro  across  the  floor. 

Rats  and  mice,  which,  by  the  way,  have  excellent  smell  and  hearing,  never 
seem  to  notice  the  approach  of  their  stealthy  enemy  until  it  is  upon  them, 
therefore  the  people  of  Egypt  like  to  let  the  ichneumon  wander  about  in  their 
graneries  and  storehouses  to  drive  the  vermin  out.  It  is  also  capable  of  pro- 
ducing a  scented  secretion,  like  the  civet,  although  it  does  not  seem  to  be  of 
any  great  value.  An  ichneumon  was  seen  to  chase  a  rat  among  some  rocks, 
and  when  it  dived  down  into  a  small  crevice,  the  ichneumon  followed,  thus 
showing  that  in  spite  of  its  apparent  size  it  is  capable  of  squeezing  into  a 
ridiculously  small  opening.  It  captures  a  great  deal  of  its  prey  in  this  man- 
ner, the  victim  believing  itself  safe  in  a  small  burrow  or  other  hiding-place. 
The  color  of  the  ichneumon  is  brown,  with  considerable  gray  mixed. 


A  MOONGUS  ATTACKING  A  COBRA. 


THE   MOONGUS. 

Around  every  Anglo-Indian  home  you  will  see  a  long-bodied,  short- 
legged,  perky  little  creature  bristling  with  importance,  and  busy  prying  into 
all  sorts  of  odd  corners.  It  is  the  Moongus.  Indian  gardens  become  the 
abode  of  numberless  reptiles  which  would  soon  be  uninhabitable  but  for  this 
little  creature. 

In  ways  it  bears  some  resemblance  to  the  cat,  being  cleanly  and  well 
disposed  to  human  beings.  The  moongus  is  consumed  with  curiosity ;  it 
will  pry  into  everything,  and  often  thereby  gets  itself  into  the  most  laughable 
situations. 

A  Civil  Service  Judge  in  Bengal  allowed  a  pet  moongus  to  wander  at 
will  all  over  his  house.  One  day  the  moongus  climbed  onto  the  Judge's  desk 
to  see  what  it  could  find.  It  pushed  its  nose  into  the  ink-pot,  and  found  the 
ink  nasty  to  drink.  Then  wherever  it  put  its  nose  after  that  it  left  an  inky 
stain.  The  moongus  could  not  understand  where*  the  black  marks  came 
from.  At  last  it  upset  a  large  pot  of  gum,  and  got  its  feet  and  tail  into  the 
mess  so  that  papers  began  to  stick  all  over  its  body.  With  that  the  moongus 
rushed  off  in  a  fright,  and  rolled  itself  about  in  the  dust  in  the  garden.  It 
was  several  days  before  its  fur  got  back  into  order  and  neatness. 

In  India  the  little  animal  is  much  prized  and  protected  on  account  of  the 
unceasing  warfare  it  wages  against  all  manner  of  snakes.  Every  shaded  nook 
and  drain-pipe  affords  a  lurking-place  for  the  dreaded  cobra,  and  the  one  ani- 
mal that  faces  this  reptile  without  fear  is  the  moongus.  The  lightning  rapidity 
with  which  the  little  creature  moves,  and  the  curious  swaying  motion  of  its 
body,  enabling  it  to  spring  equally  well  on  either  side,  makes  it  very  difficult  to 
say  in  which  direction  it  will  go,  and  this  is  its  great  safeguard  in  dealing  with 
reptiles  like  the  cobra.  The  moongus  endeavors  to  catch  the  snake  just  be- 
hind the  head,  where  it  cannot  bite  back,  nor  lash  with  its  tail.  They  roll  on 
the  ground  together  until  either  the  snake  is  killed,  or  succeeds  in  shaking  its 
enemy  off,  which  very  seldom  happens.  The  object  of  the  moongus  is  to 
reach  the  snake's  back-bone  with  its  sharp  teeth,  and  thus  paralyze  it.  If  the 
snake  attacks  first,  the  moongus  receives  its  enemy  in  front,  and  avoids  the 
lightning  strikes  by  springing  in  the  air.  Quick  as  the  snake  is,  it  cannot  turn 
before  the  moongus  has  followed  up  its  miss  with  a  furious  attack. 

The  moongus  does  the  snakes  great  harm  in  other  ways  besides  fighting 


THE   MOONGUS. 

with  them.  When  a  cobra  lays  its  eggs  it  generally  does  so  in  some  warm 
corner  and  then,  after  covering  them  with  earth,  leaves  the  heat  of  the  sun 
to  do  the  hatching.  The  moongus  hunts  for  these  eggs,  digs  them  up  and 
eats  them.  It  is  on  these  occasions  that  the  fiercest  battles  take  place,  for 
the  cunning  snake  is  always  on  the  lookout  for  enemies.  She  tries  to  sneak 
up  behind  the  moongus,  but  the  chances  are  a  hundred  to  one  that  it  will 
hear  her. 

The  moongus  is  a  good  hunter,  for  it  fears  nothing.  Should  a  mole  or 
any  other  subterranean  animal  appear,  the  moongus  flies  at  it,  and  if  it  seeks 
refuge  in  its  burrow  in  the  ground,  will  follow  it  in,  and  later  is  seen  backing 
out  of  the  excavation,  dragging  the  luckless  mole  too. 

The  only  time  that  the  moongus  shows  an  irritable  nature  toward  human 
beings  is  when  it  is  feeding, being  liable  to  use  its  sharp  little  teeth  freely;  but 
this  is  not  common,  because  they  usually  drag  their  food  to  secluded  spots, 
where  they  will  not  be  disturbed.  When  the  moongus  is  angry  it  spreads  its 
tail  out  like  a  bottle-brush,  and  utters  a  low,  quick,  chattering  noise. 

Its  general  body-color  is  gray,  with  dark  hairs  intermingled. 

It  was  claimed  at  one  time  that  the  poison  of  a  cobra  was  not  fatal  to  the 
moongus,  but  this  is  untrue,  for  should  it  be  unlucky  enough  to  get  bitten,  the 
consequences  would  be  just  as  fatal  as  in  the  case  of  any  other  animal.  The 
moongus  matches  its  quickness  of  foot  and  eye  against  the  snake's  strike. 

One  of  these  interesting  creatures  was  brought  to  England  and  allowed 
to  run  about  its  owner's  house.  Of  course,  it  immediately  went  on  a  tour  of 
inspection,  and  ran  up  against  the  cats,  who  took  it  for  an  extra-sized  rat,  but 
they  quickly  discovered  their  mistake,  for  the  sturdy  little  animal  flew  at  them 
so  fiercely  that  they  were  actually  driven  from  the  house.  This  little  moongus 
waged  a  great  war  on  the  roaches  in  the  kitchen  until  they  were  all  extermi- 
nated. One  night  by  accident  it  was  shut  out  from  its  warm  quarters,  and  was 
found  dead  the  next  morning.  Although  there  was  not  a  trace  of  frost  in  the 
air,  the  cold  had  been  sufficient  to  cause  the  death  of  the  little  inhabitant  of 
the  tropics. 

In  spite  of  its  sharp  teeth,  Indian  children  like  to  make  a  pet  of  the  moon- 
gus, for  it  is  fond  of  a  game.  It  is  good-tempered,  as  a  rule,  but  can  be  teased 
until  it  becomes  dangerous.  There  is  one  thing  which  always  rouses  the 
moongus's  wrath,  and  that  is  to  pull  its  tail.  It  will  snap  angrily  at  anyone's 
finger  after  that.  There  have  been  many  attempts  to  introduce  the  moongus 
into  other  snake-infested  countries,  but  with  very  little  success,  for  it  does  not 
thrive  well  out  of  the  tropics. 


DOG    FAMILY. 

This  large  and  important  group  of  animals  embrace  not  only  wild  and 
domesticated  dogs,  but  also  the  wolves,  foxes,  and  the  jackals. 

The  dog  is  found  all  over  the  world,  and  everywhere  is  the  friend  of  man. 
Let  us  first  look  at  an  interesting  animal  of  the  wild  dogs. 

THE    DHOLE. 

The  Dhole  is  found  in  the  western  portion  of  the  Indian  Empire.  It  is  a 
mysterious  animal.  Even  in  localities  which  are  favored  by  its  presence,  the 
dhole  is  seldom  seen,  and  by  many  Indian  residents  it  has  been  thought  to  be 
a  fable  of  the  natives. 

The  most  wonderful  thing  about  the  dhole  is  its  fondness  for  hunting. 
There  is  nothing  peculiar  in  the  fact  that  dholes  should  unite  in  great  packs 
and  run  down  big  game,  for  many  of  the  dog  tribe  have  that  habit,  especially 
the  wolves.  But  the  dhole  is  the  only  animal  who,  though  inferior  in  strength 
and  size,  has  sufficient  pluck  to  hunt  the  terrible  tiger  and  destroy  it. 

It  seems  that  no  animal  in  India  can  face  the  dhole  except  the  elephant 
and  rhinoceros.  Even  the  boar  is  easily  killed.  The  leopard  saves  itself  by 
taking  to  the  trees.  In  their  attacks  upon  such  animals  as  the  tiger  and  the 
boar,  the  pack  is  greatly  thinned  out  by  the  crashing  blows  of  the  tigers'  paws 
or  the  stabs  of  the  boars'  tusks,  but,  nevertheless,  the  remainder  doggedly  keep 
up  the  fight  until  one  or  the  other  wins.  The  dholes  do  not  increase  at  any 
great  rate,  the  reason  being  that  these  continual  battles  thin  their  ranks  down 
so.  The  dhole  is  very  swift-footed.  Some  naturalists  believe  that  it  can  out- 
run its  cousin,  the  wolf.  The  dhole  does  not  assault  men  unless  it  is  attacked. 
It  is  of  a  rich  brown  color,  while  its  eye  is  bright  and  its  face  very  intelligent. 

THE   GREYHOUND. 

The  first  of  the  domesticated  dogs  is  the  Grevhound.  This  graceful 
creature  is  formed  entirely  for  speed  and  endurance.  It  has  long,  slender  legs, 
a  deep  chest,  and  a  sharp-pointed  nose. 

The  chief  use  to  which  the  greyhound  is  put  is  in  "coursing."     A  pair  of 


DOG    FAMILY. 

greyhounds  race  after  a  hare  to  see  which  can  kill  it  first.  The  speed  of  the 
greyhound  is  much  greater  than  that  of  the  hare,  but  the  latter,  owing  to  its 
short  front  legs,  is  able  to  dodge  and  turn  more  quickly. 

There  are  several  varieties  of  greyhounds,  such  as  the  Irish  greyhound, 
the  Scotch  greyhound,  the  Russian  greyhound,  the  Persian  greyhound,  and, 
last  of  all,  the  smallest  and  most  beautiful  of  all,  the  Italian  greyhound. 


NEWFOUNDLAND    DOG. 

This  magnificent  beast  gets  its  name  from  the  country  to  which  it  belongs. 
It  is  a  wonderful  swimmer.  There  are  hundreds  of  cases  on  record  where  people 
have  been  saved  from  drowning  by  one  of  these  plucky  dogs.  The  attachment 
which  this  magnificent  creature  feels  toward  mankind  is  almost  unaccountable, 
for  it  has  been  known  to  go  out  into  snow-drifts  and  rescue  someone  it  has 
never  seen  before. 

The  people  of.  Newfoundland  utilize  the  strength  of  this  dog  by  making  it 
draw  sleighs  of  wood  and  stone,  and  it  is  sad  to  relate  that  the  treatment  the 
dog  receives  is  brutal  in  the  extreme.  It  is  nearly  always  seen  at  its  best  in 
England  or  Canada  where  its  fur  is  cared  for. 


ESQUIMAUX    DOG. 

This  dog  belongs  to  the  Arctic  regions.  It  is  powerfully  built  and  well 
adapted  for  travelling  over  the  ice.  The  Esquimaux  use  these  dogs  to  draw 
their  sleighs.  All  Arctic  explorers  have  carried  them  on  their  expeditions. 
At  times  a  kind  of  plague  will  break  out  among  them,  so  that  a  whole  pack 
will  die  in  a  few  hours. 


•SPANIEL. 

The  Spaniel  is  largely  used  as  a  sporting  dog.  It  is  fond  of  water  and, 
in  consequence,  is  much  favored  by  duck-hunters.  It  is  intelligent  and  plucky, 
and  will  seldom  retreat  before  any  foe.  A  spaniel  has  been  known  to  beat  off 
a  puma  which  had  tried  to  steal  her  puppies.  While  hunting,  the  spaniel  has 
a  habit  of  wagging  its  long,  hairy  tail,  and  when  it  runs  its  tail  goes  from  side 
to  side,  keeping  time  with  its  feet.  It  is  a  large  dog,  often  weighing  between 
thirty  and  forty  pounds. 


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DOG   FAMILY. 

ST.  BERNARD. 

This  magnificent  dog  gains  its  name  from  a  famous  monastery  in  Switzer- 
land,  where  it  has  been  taught  to  rescue  people  lost  in  the  snow,  and  thereby 
earned  for  itself  world-wide  fame.  Whenever  a  snow-storm  occurs  the  monks 
in  the  monastery  send  their  dogs  out  to  look  for  belated  travellers.  When  the 
dog  finds  anyone  it  bays  loudly,  all  the  while  scraping  the  snow  from  the 
frozen  traveller.     The  monks  then  set  out  to  the  rescue. 

In  the  United  States  the  St.  Bernard  thrives  very  well,  and  some  magnifi- 
cent dogs  can  be  seen  about  the  streets.     Its  temper  is  a  little  uncertain. 

BLOODHOUND. 

The  Bloodhound  gains  its  name  from  the  wonderful  sense  of  smell  it 
possesses,  which  enables  it  to  scent  a  person's  trail  for  miles  over  any  country. 
The  trail  is  often  slight,  but  the  bloodhound's  instinct  is  unerring. 

FOXHOUND. 

This  dog  is  short,  strongly  built,  and  smooth-skinned.  It  has  been  so  care- 
fully bred  that  it  has  nearly  reached  the  height  of  perfection.  In  England  it 
lives  in  packs  and  is  kept  in  beautiful  kennels,  and  looked  after  carefully.  The 
height  of  the  foxhound  is  abort  twenty  to  twenty-five  inches. 

POINTER,  SETTER,  AND   RETRIEVER. 

These  are  the  three  famous  shooting  dogs.  The  Pointer  is  a  rather  large, 
muscular,  smooth-skinned  animal.  It  gets  its  name  from  a  curious  habit  it  has 
of"  pointing  "  when  out  hunting.  If  it  finds  a  covey  of  quail  it  stands  perfectly 
still,  with  its  nose  in  exact  line  where  the  birds  are  hiding.  The  hunter  there- 
fore keeps  his  gun  pointed  readv  in  that  direction. 

The  Setter  is  another  favorite  hunting  doe.  It  is  a  beautiful,  long-haired 
creature.  A  curious  fact  about  the  setter  is  its  fondness  for  water.  While  hunt- 
ing, it  will  not  go  on  with  its  work  unless  it  can  wet  its  coat  periodically.  II 
there  is  no  water  nearby  it  pants  and  puffs  with  heat  and  exertion.  The  set- 
ter is  better  tempered  than  the  pointer,  but  it  has  an  annoying  habit  of  forget- 
ting all  it  has  ever  learned.  There  is  nothing  to  do  but  for  the  hunter  to  go 
over  its  lessons  again.  The  ruddy-brown  Gordon  setter  is  the  most  beautiful 
and  valuable  of  this  species. 


,  - 


DINNER  TIME. 


DOG    FAMILY. 


The  Retriever  Dog  is 
so  called  on  account  of  its 
value  in  recovering  or  "  re- 
trieving" game  that  has  fallen 
out  of  the  reach  of  the  sports- 
men. There  are  two  breeds 
of  retrievers;  one  obtained 
by  crossing  a  Newfoundland 
and  a  setter,  and  the  other 
by  crossing  a  terrier  and  a  spaniel.  The  latter  is  naturally  the  smaller  of  the 
two.  To  train  a  retriever  for  hunting  purposes  is  rather  a  difficult  task,  de- 
manding great  patience.  The  greatest  obstacle  is  to  break  the  dog  of  its  habit 
of  barking  when  it  is  excited. 

BULL    DOG. 

This  dog  is  an  example  of  combined  brute  strength  and  good  temper. 
Its  extraordinary  courage  is  well-known;  it  may  be  said  that  there  is  hardly 


TERRIER   PUPPIES. 


DOG    FAMILY. 

any  breed  of  sporting  dog  which  does  not  owe  its  pluck  to  an  infusion  of  bull- 
dog blood.  The  instinct  of  fight  is  strong  in  the  bull  dog,  for  there  seems  to 
be  no  animal  that  it  will  not  attack. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  bull  dog  is  gentle  and  will  permit  itself  to  be 
roughly  hauled  about  by  children.  The  bull  terrier  is  a  cross  between  the  true 
terrier  and  the  bull  dog. 

FOX   TERRIER. 

The  Fox  Terrier  has  been  termed  the  "gentleman"  among  the  dogs. 
It  is  an  animal  combining  all  the  good  qualities  of  the  canine  family,  being 
graceful,  strong,  saucy,  affectionate,  dignified  and  playful.  The  terrier  is  com- 
mon all  over  the  United  States  and  England,  where  it  has  been  carefully  bred. 
A  great  many  inferior  curs  that  have  a  trace  of  terrier  in  them  are  to  be  seen 
sneaking  about  the  streets,  but  they  only  bring  discredit  upon  the  family. 

PUG    DOCx. 

This  little  dog  has  become  a  great  household  favorite.  Its  face  is  fierce- 
looking,  showing  unmistakable  signs  of  having  descended  from  the  bull  dog, 
but  in  reality  it  is  mild  and  harmless.  The  pug  is  a  pet,  and  useless  for  any 
other  purpose.  It  is  cheerful  and  amusing  in  its  ways  and  shows  great  affection, 
but  it  is  also  jealous  in  disposition  and  will  frequently  snap  at  strangers. 

POODLE    DOG. 

The  Poodle  is  another  pet  dog.  It  is  in  great  vogue  in  France,  where 
they  shave  the  back  and  cut  the  hair  off  its  tail,  so  as  to  leave  rings  and  tufts. 

The  poodle,  therefore,  is  placed  lower  down  in  the  scale  of  "  good  "  dogs 
than  it  ought  to  be. 

It  is  really  an  exceedingly  bright  and  clever  dog,  and  can  be  taught  to 
perform  endless  tricks.     It  is  affectionate  and  docile. 

THE    DINGO. 

The  Dixgos  of  Australia  are  one  of  the  many  forms  of  life  which  make  that 
continent  mysterious.  These  animals,  half  dog,  half  fox,  live  in  great  numbers 
near  the  sheep  ranches,  where  they  thrive  marvellously,  in  spite  of  the  unceas- 
ing warfare  waged  against  them  by  man.     They  steal  sheep  and  lambs  to  an 


DOG    FAMILY 


alarming  extent,  and  so  far  no  means  has  been  found  to  check  their  ravages. 
When  they  become  very  numerous  in  one  locality,  they  divide  up  into  bands, 
each  one  covering  certain  ground.  They  are  very  swift-footed,  and  always 
prefer  flight  to  giving  battle ;  but  still,  if  cornered,  they  make  a  fierce  resist- 
ance. At  night  they  surround  the  sheep-corrals  and  bay  at  the  moon  like  any 
dog.     Perhaps  their  most  remarkable  trait  is  their  store  of  vitality. 

A  hunter  on  one  occasion  discovered  a  dingo  caught  in  a  trap  ;  he  struck  it 
heavily  with  the  butt-end  of  his  gun,  and  then,  lifting  the  body  out  of  the  trap, 
left  it  for  dead,  as  he  thought,  and  walked  away.  By  chance  he  happened  to 
look  back,  when  he  saw  the  creature  rise  up,  shake  itself,  and  limp  off. 

The  dingos  are  very  expert  thieves  and  will  carry  off  common  articles, 
such  as  harness,  boots,  rugs,  clothes,  etc.,  from  under  their  owner's  very  nose, 
and  will  return  the  next  day  to  repeat  the  outrage.  The  Australian  ranchmen 
very  justly  believe  that  the  dingos,  like  the  cats,  have  nine  lives. 

The  color  of  the  dingo  is  a  reddish  brown,  which  .matches  wonderfully 
with  its  natural  surroundings  in  the  bush. 


THE  JACKAL 


Jackals  are  the  first  of  the  true  hunting  dogs  to  be  considered.  These 
animals  are  natives  of  Africa,  but  are  very  common  in  India  and  Ceylon. 
They  are  scavengers,  and  will  eat  anything  they  can  get.  One  of  their  curious 
habits  is  that  of  dogging  the  steps  of  larger  animals,  like  the  lion  and  tiger,  to 
feed  on  the  remains  of  their  feast.  They  will  sit  down  at  a  respectful  dis- 
tance, and  hungrily  watch  the  hunter  devour  its  prey.  Then  when  it  is 
gorged  it  moves  off,  and  the  jackals  swoop  down  upon  the  remains,  quarrel- 
ing furiously  among  themselves, 
or  with  the  hungry  kites  and  vul- 
tures attracted  to  the  scene.  Sir 
Samuel  Baker  mentions  having 
found  jackals  in  Africa  with  their 
paws  bitten  off,  and  the  natives 
declare  that  it  is  done  by  the  lion 
as  a  punishment  for  daring  to  in- 
terfere with  its  feast.  The  jackal 
is  an  expert  thief,  as  the  following 
_  _     storv  will  snow  : 

A  sentinel,  on  duty  in  the 
fortress  at  Agra,  observed  one  of 
3H  these  creatures  on  the  prowl.  He 
took  no  notice  of  it  at  the  time, 
but  soon  after  was  surprised  to 
see  the  intruder  crawl  off  with  a 
j|jt  pair  of  little  puppies  in  its  mouth. 
Under  an  arch-way  a  bitch  was 
asleep  with  her  litter,  and  the 
bold  thief  had  cleverly  taken  two  of  her  young  ones  from  beside  her  without 
making  anv  noise. 

When  very  young  the  jackal  may  be  tamed  like  a  dog,  and,  curiously 
enough,  it  loses  the  strong,  offensive  smell  it  has  when  wild.  The  natives 
look  upon  the  jackal  with  contempt,  on  account  of  its  sneaking  habits.  As  far 
as  human  beings  are  concerned,  the  jackal  is  harmless,  but  among  small  live- 
stock they  are  terrible  pests,  being  as  cunning  as  bold,  and,  like  the  cat,  pos- 
sessed of  nine  lives.  They  hunt  in  bands,  and  often  come  to  a  comrade's 
rescue  when  it  is  pressed  by  an  enemy. 


WOLVES   HUNTING. 


THE   WOLF. 

The  day  of  the  Wolf  is  past  in  Europe.  When  France,  and  even 
England,  were  overrun  with  this  terrible  creature  a  price  was  put  upon  its 
head,  with  the  result  that  it  was  all  but  exterminated.  In  Russia,  occasionally, 
some  lonely,  outlying  village  is  attacked  by  wolves,  who,  ravenously  hungry, 
are  driven  there  by  the  severe  winter. 

The  wolf's  jaws  are  of  marvellous  strength,  and  are  used  in  a  different 
manner  to  other  great  animals;  like  the  lion,  for  instance.  Instead  of  closing 
the  jaws  tightly,  they  snap  them,  tearing  dreadful  wounds.  The  wolf  is  cruel 
and  unsparing,  even  among  its  fellows,  turning  and  hurting  a  wounded  member 
of  its  own  pack.  Its  power  of  endurance  has  been  handed  down  in  legend, 
until  it  has  become  proverbial.  The  long,  tireless,  shambling  gallop  of  the 
wolf  will  run  any  living  creature  down.  A  horse  may  run  swiftly  and  start  off 
at  a  much  greater  rate  of  speed  than  the  wolf,  but  presently  it  will  show  signs 
of  distress;  then  it  will  pluck  up  courage  and  take  a  new  lease  of  life,  but  the 
dogged  foe  behind  will  sooner  or  later  win  the  race. 

The  most  disconcerting  thing  is  to  display  before  a  wolf  something  it  is 
unused  to.  Suspicion  is  their  watch-word,  and  a  piece  of  red  or  white  cloth 
tied  to  any  dead  game  is  sufficient  to  keep  the  band  off;  for,  unless  they  are 
perfectly  sure  that  there  is  nothing  harmful  in  that  piece  of  cloth,  they  will  not 
go  near  it. 

A  notable  instance  showing  the  suspicious  nature  of  the  wolf  is  told  by  a 
Russian  gentleman  who  was  driving  a  two-horse  sleigh,  when  his  beasts  sud- 
denly  snorted  with  terror  and  broke  into  a  wild  gallop.  The  traveller  knew 
well  enough  that  they  had  scented  wolves,  and  presently  he  heard  a  faint  howl 
far  away.  Ere  long  the  cruel  green  eyes  of  the  leader  appeared  behind,  and 
just  at  that  instant  the  sleigh  collided  with  a  tree-stump  that  was  covered  with 
snow.  In  an  instant  the  traveller  was  thrown  out,  and  the  horses,  freeing 
themselves,  rushed  madly  on.  The  man,  nearly  frantic  with  terror,  waved  a 
piece  of  red  rag  which  he  gripped  in  his  hand,  and,  to  his  intense  astonishment, 
the  wolves  stopped,  dropped  their  tails,  and  eyed  him  suspiciously.  Slowly, 
the  man  backed  to  a  tree  and  sprang  to  the  lower  limbs,  just  in  time  to  save 
his  skin.  The  pack  then  divided;  one  half  started  after  the  horses,  while  the 
remainder,  with  hungry  eyes  and  tongues  lolling  out,  settled  down  under  the 
tree,  knowing  that  the  frost  would  soon  do  its  work.  At  daylight  some  men 
found  the  sleigh  with  broken  harness  attached,  and  around  it  the  marks  of  a 
great  battle.  A  strong  force  of  men  went  up  the  road  and  rescued  the 
benighted  traveller  just  in  the  nick  of  time. 


THE    WOLF. 


Each  pack  of  wolves  runs  under  a  leader,  whose  maxim  is,  "  He  who  takes 
it,  keeps  it."  The  chief  wolf's  authority  lies  solely  in  its  jaws,  and  woe  to  the 
poor  creature  when  accident  or  age  begins  to  tax  its  strength.  At  the  first 
chance  it  is  set  upon  and  torn  to  pieces  by  its  followers,  while  confusion  and 
unending  battles  take  place,  until  another  wolf,  by  sheer  strength  and  pluck, 
fights  its  way  to  the  front  rank;  then  obedience  reigns  once  more.  In  time  this 
leader  is  deposed,  too,  and  so  on.  These  fierce  battles  among  the  rivals  in  the 
pack  keep  the  wolves  from  becoming  very  numerous.  When  wolves  are  kept 
in  captivity,  they  often  form  close  friendships  with  their  natural  enemy,  the  dog, 
and  not  infrequently  breed.  The  young  of  such  a  union  are  sly  and  ferocious, 
combining  the  evil  qualities  of  both  animals. 

The  Indian  Wolf  is  built  a  good  deal  like  the  Russian  and  American 
wolf,  except  that  its  fur  is  a  good  deal  thinner.  It  is  very  fierce,  only  one  does 
not  hear  so  much  of  it  as  there  are  so  many  other  terrible  animals  in  India, 
such  as  the  tiger,  elephant,  and  rhinoceros.  The  Indian  wolf  hunts  in  a  well- 
organized  pack,  which  is  under  the  direct  command  of  a  leader.  The  wolf  is 
found  more  in  the  open  country,  near  the  jungle,  than  in  the  jungle  itself. 


INDIAN    WOLF. 


THE  COYOTE. 


«i 


Everyone  who  has  crossed  the  Western  plains  of  America  must  have  seen 
the  Coyote,  the  gray  wolf  of  the  West,  which  sits  upon  a  knoll  and  looks 
impudently  at  the  passing  train,  well  knowing  that  it  has  no  time  to  stop  and 
interfere  with  him.  Campers  in  Arizona,  New  Mexico,  and  California  wake 
suddenly  in  the  night  and  grip  their  rifles  when  they  hear  the  most  long-drawn- 
out,  unearthly  yell  imaginable.  It  is  merely  a  coyote  serenading  the  moon. 
This  animal  is  plentiful  enough,  in  spite  of  the  way  it  is  hunted  down.  It  is  a 
typical  wolf,  keen  of  eye  and  swift  of  foot,  besides  being  the  king  of  thieves. 
The  coyote  will  quietly  pull  the  blanket  off  you  as  you  sleep,  and  at  the  first 
sign  of  waking,  with  a  whisk  of  its  tail,  it  vanishes.  They  are  clever  ventrilo- 
quists, and  use  their  power  in  many  curious  ways.  For  instance,  two  coyotes 
howling  together  make  you  think  that  there  must  be  a  band  of  twenty  in  full 
swing.  If  two  coyotes  wish  to  rob  a  chicken-ranch  which  is  guarded  by  dogs, 
one  of  them  stations  itself  at  the  gate  and  sets  up  a  howl.  Out  rush  all  the 
dogs,  and  away  goes  the  serenader,  quietly  keeping  the  lead  of  the  hounds  in 
full  cry  behind.     Then  the  second  coyote  rushes  into  the  ranch  and  steals  the 


THE    FOX. 


chickens.  When  the  first  coyote  thinks  that  it  has  run  far  enough  it  doubles 
and  trebles  its  speed,  and  the  dogs  are  left  far  behind  to  make  their  way  home. 
The  two  thieves  then  meet  and  divide  the  spoils.  All  Westerners  testify  to  the 
insolence  and  cunning  of  this  creature.  A  coyote  was  seen  about  eight  o'clock 
one  morning  to  kill  a  cat  on  a  private  lawn,  within  four  miles  of  Los  Angeles, 
California.  If  one  crosses  your  path  it  will  let  you  come  comparatively  near, 
but  should  you  attempt  to  use  a  weapon  it  vanishes  like  magic.  If  a  coyote  is 
suddenly  cornered,  it  will  feign  death,  and  often  carries  out  this  trick  so  cleverly 
that  hunters  of  the  greatest  experience  are  deceived.  Sometimes  a  coyote, 
when  feigning  death,  will  lie  in  the  same  position  for  hours,  until  it  is  sure 
that  you  are  not  looking.  During  this  time  its  body  will  assume  a  wonderfully 
lifeless  look. 

Young  coyotes  are  quaint-looking  little  creatures,  seeming  to  be   mainly 
composed    of    a    mouth    and    two 

absurdly  big  ears.     When  captured  ^^^\;^^%^^'^^^ 

very  young,  coyotes  can   be  tamed  *^«3fe 

and  chained  to  a  kennel.  They 
often  become  affectionate  and  docile 
when  they  get  over  their  natural 
shyness.  But  remember,  their  teeth 
are  always  sharp ! 

THE  FOX 


The  Fox  has  managed  to  make 
an  immense  reputation  for  itself  in 
the  world.  The  old  legends  have 
always  shown  Master  Reynard  as 
the  spirit  of  mischief  and  cunning, 
and  not  without  good  ground,  for 
there  are  few  animals  that  it  cannot 
outwit.  When  put  to  the  test  it  will 
display  a  sound  sense  of  judgment, 
mixed  with  an  audacity  that  is 
amazing.  In  England  the  fox  is  protected  by  law  for  hunting  purposes.  It  is 
a  great  pest  to  the  farmers,  but  the  hunting  landlord  prefers  to  pay  the  damage 
rather  than  have  the  game  destroyed. 

The  fox  has  a  strong,  unpleasant  odor,  which  is  exuded  from  glands  near 


3d,  $sjife; 


;  ■>  ..  -- — ,+>;■:.  •_  ■_..:• 


DIVIDED  — FOX   AND   RABBITS. 


THE   FOX. 


FOX  AND  CUBS. 


the  tail.  It  is  so  pungent  that  a  barn  will  retain  the  smell  for  weeks  after  a 
fox  has  been  there.  Milk  left  standing  near  will  be  ruined,  while  as  long  as 
the  smell  remains  dogs,  horses,  and  cats  become  very  restless.  It  is  this  curious 
scent  that  is  followed  by  the  hounds  in  the  hunt,  and  the  fox  will  display  great 
ingenuity  in  throwing  its  pursuers  off  its  trail,  such  as  going  up  the  bed  of  a 
stream,  or  doubling  back  on  its  tracks;  then  giving  a  powerful  leap  to  one  side 
to  break  the  connection  of  the  run.  It  has  often  been  known  to  sneak  through 
herds  of  cattle,  hoping  to  gain  a  little  headway  by  the  confusion  which  must 
follow  when  the  eager  pack  comes  rushing  up. 

In  a  distant  part  of  Pembrokeshire,  in  Wales,  a  pack  of  hounds  had  fol- 
lowed the  same  fox  for  several  hunts.  The  cunning  old  fellow  seemed  to 
enjoy  the  fun,  and  when  it  had  had  enough,  it  made  for  the  sea-coast  and  van- 


THE    FOX. 


ished  over  the  cliffs.  The  ground  was  examined  and  the  cliff  proved  to  be 
one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  high,  so  if  it  had  jumped  down  to  the  beach  it  must 
surely  be  killed.  The  huntsmen  determined  to  press  closer  the  next  time  the 
fox  appeared.  Again  the  hunt  came  off,  and,  as  usual,  Mister  Fox  made  for 
the  coast  and  went  over  the  cliff  like  a  flash,  the  pack  following  close  behind, 
with  the  result  that  about  half  of  them  were  killed.  It  was  afterward  seen  that 
the  cunning  rascal  used  to  slide  quickly  down  the  cliff  on  all  fours  for  about 
fifty  feet,  until  it  was  checked  by  the  stump  of  a  bush,  and  neatly  concealed  by 
this  was  the  entrance  to  its  hole. 

Another  instance  worthy  of  notice  is  that  of  a  fox  which,  when  almost  run 
down  by  a  pack  in  full  cry,  came  to  a  railway  just  as  a  freight  train  was  coming 
along  at  full  speed.  Without  hesitating,  the  desperate  creature  sprang  on  to  a 
flat-car  and  soon  left  the  hunt  far  behind. 

On  one  occasion  a  hungry  fox  passed  by  an  open  farm-house  door  just  as 
the  family  were  about  to  sit  down  to  dinner.  It  gave  one  hasty  look  around  to 
see  that  there  were  no  dogs  likely  to  catch  it,  and  then  it  sprang  boldy  across 
the  room  and  right  onto  the  dinner-table,  and,  seizing  the  joint  of  meat,  it 
scrambled  safely  out  of  the  door  again  before  anyone  could  prevent  it.  This 
is  only  one  of  the  many  instances  which  show  that  the  fox  is  capable  of  carry- 
ing out  the  most  daring  schemes. 

The  foxes  dig  holes  called  earths,  generally  among  the  roots  of  large  trees, 
and  here  they  bring  up  large  families  of  bushy-tailed,  snubby-nosed  little  cubs. 

When  the  cubs  are  about  half-grown  they  are  hunted ;  this  is  called  "  cub- 
hunting." 


THE  ARCTIC   FOX. 


The  Arctic  Fox  stands  a  little  apart  from  its  numerous  family.  It  is 
found  in  the  most  northern  part  of  America,  Greenland,  and  the  great  Arctic 
islands.  It  is  especially  famous  for  its  fur.  During  the  late  fall  it  is  a  beauti- 
ful gray  color,  which  makes  it  valuable  in  the  market.  In  the  depth  of  winter 
it  is  very  heavy  and  silky  and  turns  to  a  pure  white,  but  at  other  times  of  the 
year  it  changes  its  coat  very  rapidly,  assuming  unsightly  colors.  Explorers 
and  naturalists  who  have  visited  the  Arctic  regions  at  various  times  have 
described  it  as  the  "  pied  "  fox,  others  as  the  "sooty"  fox,  and  others  as  the 
"blue"  fox;  but  it  has  since  been  proved  that  they  are  one  and  the  same 
animal  seen  at  different  times  of  the  year. 

They  are  over-bold,  being  easy  to  approach  within  gun-shot,  and  they  do 
not  display  the  clever  tricks  for  keeping  out  of  traps  like  their  brethren.  They 
live  in  burrows,  like  the  red  fox,  and  in  size  are  slightly  smaller,  measuring 
about  three  feet,  including  the  tail. 

Owing  to  persecution,  the  Arctic  fox  is  not  nearly  as  plentiful  as  it  was;  in 
fact,  it  has  already  vanished  from  some  localities,  where  it  used  to  live  in  great 
numbers.    If  the  demand  for  its  fur  continues,  it  will  probably  be  exterminated. 


THE    HYENA-DOG. 


The  Hyena-Dog,  or  Hunting  Dog,  forms  a  connecting  link  between  the 
canine  family  and  the  hyenas.  It  has  many  of  the  traits  of  the  dog,  but  in 
appearance  and  habits  it  is  like  the  hyena.  It  is  something  of  a  scavenger,  and 
loves  to  roam  about  the  country  in  bands;  hence  the  Boer  settlers  near  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope  have  nicknamed  it  the  "hunting  dog."  It  is  smaller  than 
the  true  hyena,  and  is  much  inferior  in  strength.  It  will  steal  when  it  gets  a 
chance,  but  will  never  attack  a  man. 

While  the  speed  of  the  hyena-dog  is  nothing  like  as  great  as  the  wolf,  still 
it  is  able  to  run  down  many  animals,  such  as  the  slower  deer  and  antelope. 
When  on  a  chase,  it  relies  on  numbers  to  terrorize  the  prey,  for  a  pack  of  hyena- 
dogs  look  very  formidable  when  they  are  in  full  cry.  The  white  settlers  of  South 
Africa  consider  the  animal  a  coward,  and,  therefore,  treat  it  with  contempt. 

The  hyena-dog  is  about  the  size  of  a  large  spaniel,  but  it  weighs  a  good 
deal  more.  Its  color  is  a  dirty  gray,  with  white  and  black  patches.  Its  ears 
and  the  extremities  of  its  paws  are  also  black. 


WEASELS,   SKUNKS,   AND    BADGERS. 


Next  in  order  come  the  Weasels,  Skunks,  and  Badgers.  Members  of 
these  different  families  are  found  in  every  part  of  the  globe.  They  have  snake- 
like habits,  long,  flexible  bodies,  capable  of  being  twisted  and  turned  into  any 
shape,  short  legs,  and  immense  strength  for  their  size. 

Two  well-known  members  of  the  weasel  family  are  the  martens. 

PINE-MARTEN. 

The  Pine-Martem  is  a  beautiful  creature,  living,  as  its  name  denotes,  deep 
in  the  heart  of  the  great  pine  forests  of  Northern  Europe  and  the  wilder  parts 
of  America.  It  is  very  shy  and  wary,  never  showing  itself  if  it  can  possibly 
help  it,  and  is,  therefore,  considered  much  rarer  than  it  really  is.  It  lives  almost 
entirely  among  the  trees,  travelling  from  branch  to  branch  rather  than  going 
over  the  ground.  In  pursuit  of  its  food  it  is  sly  and  silent.  Birds,  squirrels, 
rats,  and  mice  fall  easy  victims  to  its  powerful  claws. 


STONE   MARTEN   AND   OWL. 


THE   STONE-MARTEN. 


A  hunter,  passing  near  a  large  tree,  was  attracted  by  the  excited  shrieks  of 
a  colony  of  birds  that  had  built  their  nests  among  the  upper  branches.  The 
cause  of  the  trouble  proved  to  be  a  pine-marten.  As  soon  as  the  man  and 
beast  saw  each  other,  they  stopped  and  silently  eyed  one  another.  The  marten 
was  contemplating  a  dash  for  safety,  while  the  hunter,  who  was  only  armed 
with  a  shot-gun,  was  wondering  if  he  could  get  within  range  before  his  prey 
could  try  to  escape.  They  both  made  up  their  minds  at  the  same  instant,  for 
the  hunter  made  a  dash  forward  and  the  marten  scurried  down  the  tree  with 
amazing  rapidity.  Below  this  tree  was  a  deep  gully  which  would  cut  off  all 
chance  of  pursuit,  so  the  hunter  stopped  running  and  fired  both  barrels,  while 
the  marten,  which  was  evidently 
hurt,  gave  a  superb  spring  and 
dropped  forty  feet  into  the  tree- 
tops  below.  The  small  branches 
swayed  and  creaked  as  it  made 
off,  and  the  poor  creature  was 
found  dead  the  next  day,  about 
three  miles  away.  It  measured 
thirty  inches  in  length,  including 
the  tail. 

THE   STONE-MARTEN. 

The  Beech,  or  Stone-Mar- 
ten, is  another  member  of  this 
family.  It  is  not  as  shy  as  the 
pine-marten,  and  is  much  more 
numerous.  Owing  to  its  not  be- 
ing afraid  of  man,  it  is  a  great 
nuisance,  silently  killing  and  car- 
rying off  large  numbers  of  chick- 
ens. The  beech-marten  can  be 
tamed  and  even  become  affec- 
tionate, but  never  quite  loses  its 
thirst  for  blood.  It  is  cruel  and 
fierce    when    wild,    often    falling  stone-marten   (Vl.  Natural  size). 

upon  a  weaker  animal  that  has  obtained  prey,  seizing  it  and  killing  the  victim. 
The  beech-marten  will  kill  an  animal  and  be  so  gorged  from  a  previous  meal 


THE    SABLE. 


that  it  will  leave  its  victim  without  touching  a  drop  of  its  blood.  But  it  is  just 
as  ready  to  kill  the  next  animal  it  meets.  The  beech  and  pine  marten  are  very 
much  alike,  except  that  the  white  fur  is  more  marked  in  the  former. 

THE   SABLE. 


SABLE     ('  „  Natural  Size). 

The  Sable  is  famous  for  its  fur.  It  is  not  a  common  animal,  even  where 
it  is  best  known.  It  is  found  all  through  the  most  northerly  part  of  Canada, 
and  again  in  Europe  and  Russia  Hunters  have  lost  their  lives  in  seeking  it, 
for  its  fur  is  only  valuable  during  the  cold  winter  months,  when  the  snow  begins 
to  cover  the  great  forests  of  Siberia,  and  the  danger  is  Qreat.  The  awtul  snow- 
storms  cover  up  the  tracks  in  a  very  short  time,  and  the  violent  winds  pile  up 
huge  drifts  until  it  is  impossible  to  move  along.  The  forests  are  dark,  and 
once  the  hunter  loses  his  way  he  is  lost.  Nevertheless,  quite  a  number  of 
sable-skins  come  to  this  country  each  year,  showing  that  brave  men  still  go 
out,  in  spite  of  all  the  risks.  The  sable's  feet  are  large  in  proportion  to  the 
rest  of  its  body,  and  in  consequence  it  leaves  a  foot-print  in  the  snow  which 
might  be  easily  mistaken  for  a  small  bear.  The  sable  can  be  tamed,  but  it 
makes  a  poor  pet.  Its  fur  always  looks  untidy,  for  all  the  gloss,  which  makes 
it  so  beautiful,  disappears. 


POLE-CAT. 


One  never  hears  of  the  Pole-Cat  without  thinking  of  something  horrid. 
Its  utter  wanton  cruelty  and  ferocity  have  made  its  name  famous  wherever  it 
has  lived.  Although  it  is  not  a  large  animal  (coming  in  size  between  the 
marten  and  the  true  weasel),  it  does  not  hesitate  to  wage  war  on  birds,  etc., 
several  times  its  own  size,  such  as  turkeys,  geese,  ducks,  chickens,  and  num- 
berless hares  and  rabbits.  With  regard  to  rabbits,  it  is  doubtful  if  they  have 
a  more  terrible  enemy. 

The  pole-cat  is  very  scarce  in  England ;  it  is  destroyed  because  of  the 
havoc  it  makes  among  the  wild  birds  and  animals  that  are  being  preserved  for 
game  shooting.  But  when  a  pole-cat  does  visit  any  game  preserve,  it  leaves 
a  fearful  trail  behind  to  mark  its  progress.  It  always  kills  everything  it  can  catch 
and  will  only  suck  the  blood  of  its  victim.  Often  hares  and  rabbits  are  found 
lying  dead  that  would  make  a  meal  for  twenty  pole-cats. 

The  animal  is  small  and  therefore  does  not  worry  man  seriously,  except 
by  killing  his  chickens;  but  if  the  creature  was  the  size  of  a  tiger,  just  imagine 
the  scourge  it  would  be.  There  is  only  one  thing  the  pole-cat  is  afraid  of,  and 
that  is  the  gun.  It  only  lives  on  sufferance,  and  has  hard  work  to  keep  its 
race  from  being  utterly  destroyed. 

When  a  pole-cat  has  almost  run  an  animal  down  it  is  so  intent  on  the  chase 
that  it  may  be  easily  approached.  This  is  common  among  all  the  weasels. 
The  pole-cat  has  a  brownish-yellow  fur,  varying  to  black  on  the  paws  and  tail. 


POACHERS. 


THE   FERRET. 


-.. 


■■■  ;w\  i 


The  Ferrets  are  the  best  known  of  all  the  weasel  family.  Cruelty  is  the 
birthright  of  these  curious  creatures.  They  destroy  wantonly  and  viciously, 
and  yet  ferrets  prove  that,  when  properly  handled,  they  can  be  tamed,  and  are 
capable  of  great  affection.  The  ferrets  are  best  recognized  by  their  lithe, 
creamy-white  bodies,  pointed  noses,  and  fierce  little  pink  eyes.  At  one  time  it 
was  thought  that  the  ferret  and  pole-cat  were  the  same  animal,  but  now  it  is 
well  known  that  they  are  not.    The  pole-cat  lives  in  the  North,  while  the  ferret 

originally  came  from  Africa.  When  living 
fegltg  '  ■'■■  in  captivity,  these  little  creatures  must  be 
;"' .-"pj  %  "  kept  very  warm,  for  if  by  chance  they  get 
shut  out  of  doors  and  the  weather  turns 
cold  they  will  die.  Set  a  thief  to  catch  a 
thief  holds  good  with  the  ferret,  for  it  is 
counted  as  vermin  itself,  and  yet  it  is  used 
to  kill  rats.  A  large  rat  is  nearly  a  match 
for  the  ferret,  and  it  has  been  said  that  after 
a  ferret  has  been  mauled  by  one  it  will 
never  face  a  stand-up  fight  again. 

There  are  really  two  kinds  of  ferrets, 
the  one  a  beautiful  creamy-white  creature, 
the  other  larger,  fiercer,  and  with  a  good 
deal  of  black  in  its  coat.  This  last  one  is 
a  cross  between  a  true  ferret  and  a  pole- 
cat, and  is  often  used  in  rat-catching,  while 
the  smaller  species  only  in  rabbit-hunting. 
H§  The  game-keeper  carries  the  ferret  to  the 
rabbit-warren  in  a  small  bag  in  his  out- 
side pocket,  and  when  taken  out  it  is  muz- 
zled. It  would  never  do  to  let  the  ferret 
run  loose  down  in  the  burrows,  for  it  would 
kill  the  first  rabbit  it  came  across,  and  could 
not  be  coaxed  out  until  it  had  had  a  meal.  For  this  reason  they  are  taken  into 
the  field  hungry,  so  as  to  keep  them  active.  In  rabbit-hunting  the  burrow 
holes  are  covered  with  a  slack  net,  and  when  the  ferret  is  turned  into  the 
ground  it  begins  at  once  to  chase  the  inhabitants  through  all  the  wind- 
ings and  twistings,  until  the  bunnies,  in  terror,  fly  out  of  their  holes  only  to 
get  tangled  up  in  the  net.  When  the  ferret  comes  out  it  is  put  back  in  the 
bag. 


THE    MINK. 


A  ferret  that  did  not  return  from  one  of  the  burrows  was  given  up  for  lost 
by  its  owner.  A  week  later  a  servant  of  the  manor  house  (which,  by  the  way, 
was  a  mile  and  a  half  from  the  field)  found  the  little  ferret  on  the  kitchen  door- 
step, very  cold  and  hungry,  patiently  waiting  to  be  let  in. 


THE   MINK. 

The  Mink  is  another  little  animal  which  is  famous  for  its  fur.  It  lives 
near  lakes  and  rivers,  and  was  once  thought  to  belong  to  the  otter  family;  but 
it  is  really  a  weasel  In  many  places 
it  is  spoken  of  as  the  water  pole-cat. 
It  swims  well  and  readily.  It  is 
found  throughout  Northern  Europe 
and  America,  near  the  rivers  in  the 
spring  and  the  lakes  in  the  fall. 
Like  the  rest  of  its  family,  it  is  a 
fierce  fighter  and  a  might)-  hunter 
Everything  of  its  size  in  the  forest 
flees  before  it.  The  color  of  the 
mink  is  dark  brown,  but  it  often  va- 
ries many  shades  lighter. 

Hunters  tell  many  curious  sto- 
ries showing  the  cleverness  of  the 
mink.  In  one  district  where  the 
mink  had  been  hunted  to  such  an 
extent  that  it  had  almost  disap- 
peared, a  hunter  was  very  anxious 
to  catch  one  that  was  larger  and 
fiercer  than  anv  he  had  seen  before, 
and  had  so  far  defied  all  attempts 
to  kill  it. 

The  hunter  put  up  a  spring  gun 
with  a  bait  attached  to  a  wire  and 
trigger,    which  would    fire    off    the  MINK  ('  '   Natural  3,ze)' 

minute  it  was  moved.  The  mink  smelled  the  bait,  but  when  it  saw  the  wire  it 
became  cautious  at  once.  After  watchinq-  the  bait  for  awhile  it  be^an  to  die 
the  earth  out  from  underneath  the  bait,  which  soon  fell  into  the  hole,  and  the 
gun  exploded  harmlessly.     The  mink  then  trotted  off  with  its  prize 


WEASELS  AND   SHRIKES. 


THE  WEASEL. 


The  Weasel  is  the  smallest,  commonest,  and  most  dangerous  member 
of  its  family.  Its  length,  including  the  tail,  is  less  than  a  foot.  It  is  a  great 
hunter,  attacking  even  as  large  an  animal  as  the  hare.  Weasels  often  hunt  in 
couples,  or  bands,  and  when  thus  engaged,  they  become  so  absorbed  that  they 
can  be  easily  approached.  On  one  occasion  a  man  noticed  a  rabbit  rush  across 
a  meadow-path,  evidently  in  terror  of  something  following  it,  when  suddenly 
a  weasel  appeared  so  close  that  it  almost  ran  over  the  foot  of  the  watcher.  At 
about  fifty  yards  the  weasel  caught  up  with 

the  rabbit,  leaped  upon  its  neck  and  in  a  ;  ^".^■■5^  .  ■.:.  M'/'-^  ' j./\  ' 
second  or  two  it  was  dead.  The  man  now 
came  up,  and  the  weasel  sat  upon  its  haun- 
ches and  looked  impudently  at  him.  It 
seemed  very  loath  to  be  driven  from  its 
prey,  and  the  instant  it  was  left  alone  it 
speedily  dragged  the  rabbit  under  a  bush. 
This  last  fact  shows  the  strength  of  the 
weasel,  for  a  rabbit  weighs  two  or  three 
times  what  a  weasel  does. 

This  little  creature  seems  to  have  a 
knowledge  of  human  ways,  for  the  manner 
in  which  it  will  approach  a  man  seems 
very  rash;  but  on  second  thought  one 
sees  that  they  have  a  great  deal  of  shrewd- 
ness. Owing  to  the  weasel's  fondness  for 
young  birds  and  eggs,  the  farmers  kill  it 
whenever  they  get  a  chance.  But,  on  the 
other  hand,  the  weasel  proves  very  useful 
in  destroying  vermin,  and  the  good  it  does 
exceeds  its  evil  deeds.  In  summer  the 
weasel  hunts  in  the  long  hay  and  growing 
corn  for  rats  and  mice,  but  in  winter  it  visits  the  barns,  where  they  have  gone 
for  warmth  and  shelter. 

Where  the  weasel  is  most  dreaded  is  in  the  game  preserve,  for  it  is  so 
cunning  that  it  is  next  to  impossible  to  shoot  it  down.  The  usual  way  of  kill- 
ing the  weasel  in  the  woods  is  by  the  steel  trap.  They  love  to  frequent  the 
storm  ditches,  probably  because  they  can  move  along  the  bottom  of  them  and 
approach  the  game  without  being  seen.  So  the  game-keeper  leaves  a  baited 
trap  right  in  the  path,  and  after  many  provoking  failures,  Master.  Weasel  gets 


THE   WEASEL. 


caught.  Now  a  weasel  fights  hard 
for  its  life,  and  it  plays  a  number 
of  tricks,  such  as  shamming  death. 

On  one  occasion  a  keeper  came 
across  a  weasel  which  was,  as  he 
thought,  lying  dead  in  a  trap,  and 
to  make  sure  he  struck  it  several 
times  with  the  butt  of  his  gun.  He 
loosened  the  spring  of  the  trap,  and 
taking  the  body  out,  threw  it  to  one 
side,  and  walked  away  without  giv- 
ing the  matter  a  second  thought. 
Half  an  hour  later,  when  he  passed 
that  way  again,  he  noticed  that  the 
weasel  had  gone,  and  wondered 
who  could  have  taken  it.  However* 
about  six  weeks  later  he  caught 
another  weasel  which  looked  re- 
markably like  the  first.  He  served 
it  as  he  had  served  the  one  before, 
and  threw  it  on  the  ground.  This 
time  he  did  not  leave,  but  hid  be- 
hind a  bush.  As  nothing  happened 
for  some  time  he  was  just  on  the  point  of  going  home  when  he  saw  the  weasel 
move,  then  sit  up,  sneeze,  and  calmly  begin  to  put  its  fur  in  order,  and  then 
trot  leisurely  off.  The  blows  that  the  keeper  had  struck  it  would  have  crushed 
many  a  larger  animal. 

Again  a  little  weasel  was  caught  by  its  front  foot  in  a  trap,  and  in  its  fran- 
tic struggle  to  get  away  it  tore  its  foot  off  altogether.  Although  so  badly 
maimed,  that  three-legged  weasel  became  the  scourge  of  the  woods.  Every  day 
a  partridge's  nest  was  destroyed  or  a  pheasant  dragged  down,  and  do  what 
they  could,  the  keepers  failed  to  trap  the  little  beast.  When  the  snow  came 
they  saw  its  curious  three-foot  prints  everywhere,  but  never  a  sight  of  the 
weasel.  At  last,  nearly  eighteen  months  later,  it  was  found  fighting  with  a  tame 
cat  that  had  run  wild,  over  a  dead  rabbit.  A  charge  of  shot  laid  both  the  fight- 
ers out,  but  the  damage  had  been  done  by  that  time.  For  a  year  and  a  half 
that  weasel  had  defied  every  scheme  to  catch  it.  There  is  an  old  saying 
which  runs,  "  Never  leave  a  weasel  till  you  have  nailed  it  to  the  barn  door." 


WEASEL   AT   BAY. 


THE  STOAT. 


The  much-hated,  thieving  Stoat 
and  the  beautiful  Ermine  are  one  and 
the  same  animal.  In  summer  the 
stoat's  fur  on  its  back  is  brown,  while 
underneath  it  shades  to  a  beautiful 
lemon  color ;  but  when  the  frosty 
weather  comes  it  turns  to  a  creamy 
white,  except  the  end  of  the  tail,  which 
remains  black.  Of  course  it  is  at  this 
time  that  it  is  most  valuable.  People 
used  to  think  that  the  whiteness  in  a 
stoat  was  caused  by  its  dark  summer 
coat  comin"-  out  and  the  white  fur 
growing,  but  it  has  been  proven  that 
the  darker  fur  simply  turns  white. 

The  stoat  is  a  great  deal  larger 
than  the  weasel,  but  very  much  like  it 
in  its  habits.  Wherever  there  is  game 
around  the  stoat  is  sure  to  be  found, 
for  it  dearly  loves  to  eat  pheasants 
and  rabbits.  On  one  occasion  a  stoat  came  upon  a  hare,  and  the  latter,  in- 
stead of  dashing  off,  as  it  would  in  case  it  met  a  man,  merely  hobbled  about 
slowly,  with  the  stoat  following  close  behind.  After  awhile  the  hare  settled 
down  on  the  ground,  while  its  enemy  crept  closer  and  closer,  until  it  sprang  on 
its  victim's  neck,  killing  it  with  a  single  bite.  The  hare  is  by  no  means  a  cow- 
ard, often  fighting  fiercely  against  animals  larger  than  itself,  but  with  the  stoat  it 
seems  unable  to  help  itself.  The  effect  that  the  stoat  has  on  birds,  hares,  and 
rabbits  is  a  kind  of  fascination  like  that  of  a  snake. 


STOAT. 


THE   SKUNK. 


Everyone  knows  the  Skunk,  with  its  beautiful  black  and  white  fur,  and 
the  terrible  name  it  has  for  the  smell  which  issues  from  its  body.  The  glands 
which  contain  this  disagreeable  liquid  in  many  cases  have  been  removed, 
leaving  the  skunk,  which  is  naturally  good-tempered,  a  jolly  little  playfellow. 
The  skunk  is  easily  tamed,  and  will  live  contentedly  about  a  garden. 


THE   SKUNK. 


■  iSiii 


In  a  Western  double-framed  house  a  family  of  skunks  lived  between  the 
outer  and  inner  shells  of  the  wall,  and  as  night  came  on  they  were  to  be  heard 
running  over  the  beams  after  prey.  They  destroyed  every  living  thing,  from 
rats  down  to  blackbeetles,  and  were  never  offensive  to  the  household  unless 
suddenly  disturbed  by  one  of  the  cats.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  skunks  had 
their  own  way,  and  the  cats,  with  great  wisdom,  kept  at  a  distance.  Neverthe- 
less, there  was  a  collision  at  times,  and  the  skunk  made  the  neighborhood 
aware  of  it.  Baby  skunks  are  the  prettiest  of  little  things,  looking  very  innocent 
as  they  frisk  about.     Except  for  color  they  look  like  young  squirrels. 

Skunks  are  strictly  American  animals,  and  are  known  all  over  the  country. 
In  some  places  they  reach  as  great  a  total  length  as  eighteen  inches,  but  the 
average  is  much  smaller  than 
this.  They  have  strong  bur- 
rowing claws,  and  when  wild 
live  in  holes  that  they  dig  out 
for  themselves.  They  sleep 
all  day  and  come  out  at  night 
to  hunt'  for  food.  If  suddenly 
met  by  a  man  they  show  little 
concern,  and  will  often  look 
at  the  intruder  impudently. 
Their  lack  of  fear  comes  from 
their  knowing  that  no  one  will 
interfere  with  them.  When 
they  become  too  numerous 
they  are  best  cleared  out  with 
a  gun,  but  the  hunter  must  be 
skilful  at  his  work,  for  they 
must  be  shot  dead.  If  only 
wounded  they  will  crawl  un- 
der a  house  or  barn  and  make 
it  impossible  for  anyone  to 
come  near  them.  Their  pe- 
culiar odor  is  very  strong, 
clinging  for  months  together 
to  horses,  cattle,  dogs,  cats, 
and  garments  that  have  come 

in  Contact  with  it.  SKUNK    (/  Natural  Size), 


THE  BADGER. 


c 


On  a  warm  summer  e\'ening,  if  you  go  to  some  quiet  spot  where  no  one 
passes,  and  there  are  lots  of  trees,  you  may  see  a  Badger,  whose  beautiful 
black  and  white  coat  glides  in  and  out  among  the  grass  like  a  will-o'-the-wisp. 
Although  harmless  and  good-natured,  the  badger  is  a  great  fighter  when 
aroused.  In  olden  times  it  used  to  be  matched  against  several  dogs  at  once, 
and  often  gave  a  good  account  of  itself.  It  has  short,  stubby  legs  and  a  dog- 
like snout.  Its  teeth  are  vety  strong  and  sharp.  A  badger  mother  rears  her 
young  in  a  burrow,  generally  among  the  roots  of  trees.  This  is  dug  out  by 
the  male  badger,  and  serves  for  a  living-place  and  store-house.  When  the 
badger  is  busy  burrowing  you  can  come  quite  close  to  it,  for  it  is  so  intent 
upon  its  work  that  it  does  not  notice  anything  around  it.  Many  people  imag- 
ine that  the  badger  is  stupid,  but  in  reality  it  is  very  clever,  and  anyone  who 
has  attempted  to  trap  one  will  agree  in  this.  It  is  easily  tamed,  and  becomes 
quite  affectionate.  The  badger  is  not  as  rare  as  many  people  think.  Its  habits 
are  quiet,  and  it  moves  along  so  stealthily  that  you  might  be  within  a  few 
yards  of  one  andnot  know  it.  It  is  more  often  betrayed  by  its  strong  smell 
than  by  any  sound  it  will  make. 


THE  WOLVERINE. 

The  Wolverine,  or  Gluttom,  is  found  over  the  coldest  parts  of  America, 
Northern  Europe,  and  Siberia,  and   is   everywhere  considered  a  curse  and  a 


WOLVERINE   AND   STAG. 


THE   HONEY  RATEL. 


scourge.  It  is  cruel  and  ferocious,  killing  many  more  animals  than  it  can 
possibly  eat.  It  is  hated  among  the  trappers  of  North  America,  because  it 
slinks  after  their  trails  and  tears  to  pieces  victims  already  caught  in  the  traps. 
All  the  summer  long  the  glutton  wages  war  upon  the  beavers,  stealthily  gliding 
in  upon  them  or  dashing  suddenly  among  a  colony.  But  in  winter  the  terrible 
cold  freezes  the  beaver's  hut  so  hard  that  even  the  glutton  cannot  get  into  it. 
Its  paws  are  very  large,  and  make  a  footprint  in  the  snow  that  is  often  mis- 
taken for  a  bear.  Sometimes  the  glutton  lies  upon  an  overhanging  branch  un- 
til some  poor  deer  comes  along,  when  it  springs  upon  its  victim's  neck  and 
hangs  there,  in  spite  of  all  its  struggles,  until  the  quarry  is  brought  down. 

Should  a  hunter  be  unlucky  enough  to  corner  a  glutton  it  will  offer  a 
fierce  resistance.  It  is  said  that  the  glutton  is  the  most  difficult  animal  of  its 
size  to  capture.  Traps  are  almost  useless  to  destroy  it,  and  the  only  sure 
method  is  to  watch  with  infinite  patience  and  shoot  it  down. 


THE    HONEY    RATEL. 


HONEY    RATEL    ('6  Natural  Size). 


The  Honey  Ratel  lives  on  the  honeycombs  of  wild  bees.  It  is  cov- 
ered with  a  thick  skin  which  serves  as  a  protection  against  the  stings  of  the 
bees.  The  honey  ratel  has  strong  digging  claws,  and  it  can  bury  itself  in  a  few 
minutes.     This  is  the  way  it  escapes  from  the  angry  bees. 


THE    BEAR   FAMILY. 

The  Bear  has  withstood  the  attacks  of  man  better  than  any  of  the  large 
animals,  and  this  is  probably  because  its  habits  are  so  quiet.  Its  real  food  con- 
sists of  roots,  berries,  and  young  leaves,  and  flesh,  only  when  it  finds  it  freshly 
killed. 

THE   SLOTH    BEAR. 

One  of  the  bear  species  has  been  foolishly  named  the  Sloth  bear,  but  it 
is  the  most  active  of  all.  It  inhabits  the  tropics,  therefore  it  never  has  to  sleep 
throughout  the  winter,  and  what  is  more,  it  has  to  work  very  hard,  digging  up 
ants'  nests,  to  get  its  daily  food.  Curiously  enough,  it  is  about  the  only  bear 
that  goes  out  of  its  way  to  attack  man.  Hunters  state  that  the  sloth  bear  is  so 
full  of  life  that  when  anything  comes  in  sight  which  it  believes  it  can  safely 
tackle,  it  rushes  in  to  attack  at  once.  When  caught  young  and  tamed,  the 
sloth  bear  makes  an  excellent  pet. 


SLOTH    BEAR. 


THE   GRIZZLY   BEAR. 

There  are  several  kinds  of  bears  to  be  found  in  America,  but  the  most 
famous  is  the  Grizzly.  Through  some  parts  of  the  States  hunters  call  all 
bears  grizzlies,  but  it  seems  now  that  the  only  true  grizzly  is  found  in  the  Si- 
erra Nevada  Mountains  of  California. 

All  summer  long  the  bear  is  busy  eating  until  it  gets  very  fat,  and  then 
when  winter  comes  it  makes  a  burrow  in  the  ground,  very  cunningly  hid- 
den, and  quietly  goes  to  sleep  from  November  to  April.  When  it  gets  up  it 
looks  very  miserable  and  thin  from  having  had  nothing  to  eat,  and  all  the  gloss 
has  gone  off  its  fur.  At  this  time  it  is  very  fierce  indeed.  The  bear  hunts  for 
food,  and  in  a  short  time  it  begins  to  grow  fat  again,  and  the  skin  no  longer 
looks  several  sizes  too  large  for  its  owner. 

The  spring  is  a  bad  time  for  bear-hunting,  firstly  because  its  fur  is  not 
in  good  condition,  and  secondly  because  it  is  too  dangerous  an  antagonist. 
Should  a  grizzly's  anger  become  aroused  by  a  wound,  it  will  attack  men  and 
horses  without  discrimination.  It  lays  about  itself  with  its  huge  paws,  while  its 
claws  will  smash  through  almost  any  substance,  as  if  they  were  made  of  steel. 
So  tenacious  of  life  is  the  grizzly  bear  that,  unless  it  is  wounded  in  some  vital 
spot  it  will  fight  on,  although  its  body  may  be  riddled  with  bullets. 

All  California  hunters  fear  the  grizzly,  and  with  good  reason,  for  no  other 
animal  on  the  American  Continent  matches  it  for  size  and  strength. 

Men  who  have  travelled  all  over  the  world  believe  that  a  grizzly  is  more 
than  a  match  for  either  a  lion  or  a  tiger,  in  spite  of  their  superior  agility. 

A  full-grown  male  grizzly  frequently  weighs  as  much  as  fourteen  hundred 
pounds,  but  the  female  weighs  a  good  deal  less. 


THE  BROWN   BEAR. 

The  Brown  Bear  is  fairly  common  in  Europe  and  Asia.  In  a  wild  state 
it  grows  to  a  very  large  size,  but  directly  it  is  confined  in  a  cage  it  ceases  to 
develop  and  remains  comparatively  small  all  its  life. 

The  brown  bear  lives  mainly  upon  roots,  leaves,  and  honey,  consequently, 
it  does  not  make  many  inroads  on  the  farmers'  cattle. 

The  brown  bear  is  easily  tamed  and  becomes  verv  affectionate,  and  will 
follow  its  owner  about  like  a  dog.  It  is  frequently  seen  with  shows  and  cir- 
cuses, where  it  is  made  to  dance  upon  its  hind  legs. 


GRIZZLY   BEAR   AND   CUBS. 


A  BEAR  ATTACKING  A  BULL. 


THE   BLACK    BEAR. 


BROWN    BEAR. 


THE   BLACK    BEAR. 

The  Black  Bear  is  found  all  over  America.  There  was  a  time  when 
this  bear  was  hunted  for  its  flesh,  which  was  considered  a  great  delicacy. 

A  curious  habit  of  the  black  bear  is  that  if  it  is  very  fat,  about  November, 
it  will  not  hibernate  at  all,  but  spend  the  winter  above  ground. 

The  track  which  the  black  bear  leaves  in  the  snow  is  very  large.  It  also 
has  a  habit  of  passing  over  the  same  tracks  many  times,  and  the  hunter  is  fre- 
quently led  to  believe  that  he  is  on  the  trail  of  some  larger  animal. 


THE   POLAR   BEAR. 

In  the  Arctic  regions  lives  the  Polar  Bear.     This  mighty  animal  is  as 
large  as  any  of  the  bears  found  in  warmer  countries.     It  lives  entirely  on 


POLAR    BEARS. 


THE  POLAR  BEAR. 


AMERICAN  BLACK  BEAR. 


flesh  and  fish,  its  chief  food  being  seals,  which  it  has  a  very  clever  way  of 
catching.  Finding  a  number  of  seals  asleep  on  a  piece  of  floating  ice,  the 
bear  quietly  swims  toward  them,  and  then  suddenly  appears  right  under  their 
noses.  If  the  frightened  seals  leap  into  the  water  the  bear  will  have  them 
before  they  can  get  away,  while  if  they  try  to  escape  over  the  ice,  their  swift- 
footed  enemy  quickly  climbs  out  of  the  water  and  catches  them  before  they  can 
reach  a  place  of  safety.     This  trick  is  played  over  and  over  again. 

The  polar  bear  can  stay  under  water  for  quite  a  long  time.  Its  swimming 
powers  are  greater  than  those  of  any  other  animal  except,  of  course,  the  whale, 
dolphin,  and  seal.  A  polar  bear  has  been  known  to  swim  from  one  island  to 
another,  a  distance  of  over  fifty  miles.  Moreover,  it  is  very  expert  in  the 
water,  and  can  catch  the  largest  and  swiftest  fish  with  ease. 

The  polar  bear  makes  a  dangerous  enemy,  for  its  temper  is  uncertain,  and 
it  will  attack  man  without  any  reason.  Its  jaws  are  of  great  strength,  while  its 
claws  will  tear  their  way  through  the  hardest  wood.  Its  fur  is  enormously  thick, 
right  down  to  the  extremities  of  its  feet,  and  consequently  it  is  well  protected 
from  the  Arctic  cold  and  from  the  sharp  pieces  of  ice  that  it  walks  over.  Its 
color  varies  from  a  pure  white  to  a  pale  yellowish  tint. 


THE   OTTER. 


O  TTER    (',  ,  Natural  Size). 


Sometimes  toward  evening,  when  you  are  walking  near  a  river,  you  will 
be  surprised  to  see  a  large  salmon  floating  by,  with  a  small  part  of  the  flesh  on 
its  h^ck  torn  away.  It  is  sure  to  be  the  work  of  the  Otter.  This  great  fish- 
hunter  inhabits  the  river-banks  of  many  countries,  and  is  usually  much  hated 
for  the  damage  it  does  to  the  river-folk.  In  England  otter-hunting  is  a 
national  sport.  A  pack  of  wire-haired  shaggy  hounds  swim  or  wade  in  the 
stream,  while  terriers  run  along  the  bank  to  start  the  game.  Hunters  with 
long  poles  follow  on  foot,  and  the  poor  beast  is  chased  until  it  is  brought  to 
bay. 

The  otter  is  cunning  and  brave,  fighting  desperately  for  its  life  or  cubs. 
Its  body  is  long  and  very  supple,  and  its  fur  is  of  a  fine  texture.  On  land  it 
makes  a  good  stand  against  its  enemies,  but  in  the  water  it  is  a  match  for  any- 
thing its  size.     The  otter,  if  taken  while  young,  is  easily  tamed. 

Some  years  ago  a  Scottish  gentleman  owned  an  otter,  which  he  taught  to 
catch  fish  at  his  command.  The  otter  would  take  not  only  salmon  from  the 
river,  but  it  would  take  cod  out  of  the  sea,  swimming  bravely  through  the 
waves  in  search  of  prey.  When  it  got  tired,  nothing  would  induce  it  to  go 
into  the  water  again.     It  was  always  given  part  of  the  fish  as  a  reward,  and 


THE   OTTER. 


SEA    OTTER. 


then  it  would  fall  down  asleep,  and  have  to  be  carried  home.  This  ani- 
mal became  so  tame  that  if  it  was  frightened  it  would  rush  to  its  master  for 
safety. 

An  otter  in  the  London  Zoo  had  two  little  cubs,  which  had  fallen  into  a 
tank  full  of  water.  Although  they  could  swim  splendidly,  there  was  danger  of 
their  being  drowned  when  they  got  tired.  The  mother  otter  made  an  attempt 
to  get  them  out  by  reaching  down  from  the  top.  At  last,  however,  she  got 
into  the  tank  herself,  and  making  a  natural  bridge  of  her  back  and  fore- 
paws,  the  youngsters  were  able  to  scramble  up  in  safety. 

The  river  otter  is  not  very  rare,  and  anyone  who  is  willing  to  spend  an 
hour  or  so  sitting  perfectly  still  near  a  shaded  woodland  stream,  may  see  the 
cunning  creature  busily  searching  for  prey.  The  length  of  the  otter's  body  is 
about  two  feet,  and,  including  the  tail,  nearly  three  feet. 

The  Sea  Otter  is  nearly  twice  the  size  of  the  land  otter.  It  lives  on  the 
Northern  Pacific  coast,  and  is  very  rare,  feeding  entirely  on  sea  fish  and  what 
it  can  pick  up  on  the  shore.      Its  fur  is  very  valuable. 


The  Coaiti  is  a  curious 
little  South  American  ani- 
mal, that  loves  to  roam 
about  in  the  night  search- 
ing for  eggs  and  sleeping 
birds.  Its  snout  is  long 
and  flexible,  and  is  used 
for  digging  up  worms  and 
insects.  In  drinking  it 
laps  like  a  dog,  keeping  its 
snout  up  out  of  the  liquid. 
The  coaiti  always  comes 
down  a  tree  head  first, 
holding  on  by  its  sharp 
curved  claws. 


THE   RACCOON. 


Have  you  ever  seen  a  Raccoon?  Perhaps  you  would  understand  better 
if  you  were  asked,  have  you  ever  seen  a  coon?  This  curious  animal  is  a  liv- 
ing lesson  to  all  boys  and  girls.  It  is  the  cleanest  little  animal  known.  It 
keeps  its  fur  speckless,  and  carefully  washes  every  bit  of  food  before  eating  it. 
It  has  no  table  to  come  to  with  dirty  hands,  but,  nevertheless,  takes  pride  in 
keeping  itself,  oh,  so  clean  !  Its  paws  are  hand-shaped,  which  gives  it  a  strong 
grip  on  anything  it  wishes  to  hold,  and  this  is  very  useful  to  Master  Coon 
when  he  is  busily  washing  a  piece  of  meat  back  and  forth  in  the  water. 

If  the  coon  is  treated  kindly,  it  will  become  very  tame.  A  gentleman  kept 
one  in  his  yard  with  a  number  of  other  wild  animals,  and  the  coon  was  by  far 
the  tamest,  being  allowed  to  run  about;  but,  at  the  same  time,  all  the  chickens 
had  to  be  kept  out  of  its  way,  for  it  had  a  habit  of  killing  them  wholesale.  It 
is  said  that  the  raccoon  is  rather  a  spiteful  animal,  and  will  store  up  a  grudge 
against  anyone  who  has  in- 
sulted it. 

The  raccoon  roams  over 
the  sea-shore  at  night  in  search 
of  shell-fish  and  oysters.  It  is 
quite  clever  at  opening  the 
latter.  Sometimes  it  is  un- 
lucky enough  to  get  a  foot 
caught  by  an  oyster,  and  then 
it  is  drowned  in  the  rising  tide. 

The  colored  people  in  the 
Southern  States  think  a  coon- 
hunt  great  fun.  They  walk 
quietly  through  the  woods  un- 
til a  coon  is  located  in  a  tree. 
Then  one  of  the  party  climbs 
up  into  the  branches  and 
shakes  the  poor  little  creature 
off  its  perch.  As  it  falls  to  the 
ground  it  is  set  upon  by  the 
men  and  dogs,  who  soon  kill 
it.  The  flesh  of  the  raccoon  is 
considered  very  good  to  eat, 
while  its  skin  makes  beautiful 

rUSS-  RACCOON   {%  Natural  Size). 


THE   MOLE. 


The  Molp:  is  the  first  of  the  true  insect-eating  animals  living  almost  en- 
tirely  under  the  ground.  Its  fur  is  very  fine,  and,  as  the  hair  has  no  grain, 
none  of  the  particles  of  soil  through  which  it  passes  sticks  to  it.  Its  eyes  are 
very  poor, — in  fact,  unless  you  know  where  to  look  for  them  you  would  fancy 
it  did  not  have  any.  However,  if  you  sprinkle  a  little  cold  water  on  its  head, 
it  will  show  two  small,  black,  beady  eyes.  Its  muscles  are  very  strong  and  its 
diggers  large  for  its  size.  The  mole  is  able  to  bore  through  the  earth  with 
amazing  rapidity.  It  feeds  largely  on  worms,  and  herein  is  seen  its  wonderful 
skill.  Its  strong  diggers  enable  it  to  chase  the  worms  through  all  their  wind- 
ings  in  and  out,  following  them  by  smell  and  sound.  The  hearing  of  the  mole 
is  proverbial,  while  its  sense  of  smell  is  delicate.  It  uses  its  nose  to  find  the 
softest  earth  to  burrow  through,  and  often  does  some  of  the  work  too  like  a 
pioneer. 

The  mole  is  fierce  and  quarrelsome.  The  males  far  outnumber  the 
females  in  this  family,  so  when  the  pairing  season  comes  round  there  are  fierce 
battles'  between  the  males.  On  one  occasion  a  hunter  noticed  some  grass 
moving  in  an  odd  way,  and  going 
up  to  see  what  was  the  cause  of  it 
he  found  two  moles  in  mortal  combat. 
They  were  so  absorbed  in  their  fight 
that  they  did  not  notice  the  stranger, 
and  indeed  they  came  within  an 
inch  of  his  toes  during  the  struggle. 


After  awhile  one  of  the  moles  began 
to  beat  a  hasty  retreat.  The  other 
followed  it,  and  with  every  show  of  fe- 
rocity began  to  tear  it  to  pieces.  The 
mole  makes  a  bad  pet,  as  it  never 
displays  any  liveliness  except  at 
meal-times,  and  then,  having  gorged 
itself,  it  goes  to  sleep  again.  It  does 
a  great  deal  of  damage  to  lawns  and 
gardens  by  tunneling  under  the  top 
soil.  These  tunnels  are  often  hun- 
dreds of  feet  in  length.  At  the  same 
time  many  people  believe  that  the 
earth  is  all  the  better  for  having  been 
stirred  up,  and  turned  over. 


MOLE    (*/2  Natural  Size). 


ELEPHANT    SHREW    {'4   Natural  Size). 


THE   ELEPHANT   SHREW. 

The  Elephant  Shrew,  so  called 
for  its  trunk-like  nose,  lives  in  South 
Africa.  It  is  famous  for  its  speed,  for 
when  alarmed  it  hurries  to  safety  with 
wonderful  swiftness.  Its  burrow  is 
generally  placed  in  some  shady  place, 
difficult  to  find.  It  feeds  on  insects, 
and  in  the  day-time,  too. 

THE   AGOUTA. 

The  Agouta  lives  in  Hayti,  in 
the  West  Indies.  It  has  the  head 
and  tail  of  the  opossum.  The  length 
of  the  agouta  is  about  eighteen 
inches,  including  the  tail.  This  ani- 
mal, when  running,  might  be  mis- 
taken for  a  huge  barn-rat.  It  is  one 
of  the  insect-eating  family. 

The    agouta    is    very   silent   and 


wary.  Should  it  hear  anyone  approaching  the  spot  where  it  is  feeding,  it  will 
listen  to  ascertain  from  which  direction  the  noise  comes,  and  then  sneak  qui- 
etly off  the  opposite  way.  Its  front  claws  are  long  and  slightly  curled,  and 
are  used  for  digging  up  roots,  etc.,  and  holding  its  prey. 


AGOUTA    ('/4    Natural  Size). 


THE    HEDGEHOG. 


If  you  have  a  garden  you  should  keep  a  Hedgehog,  for  there  is  no  ani- 
mal that  destroys  so  many  slugs,  caterpillars,  and  beetles.  Next  to'the  porcu- 
pine, the  hedgehog  has  the  most  wonderful  skin  of  spikes  in  the  world,  and  if 
you  make  it  angry,  or  set  a  terrier  at  it,  it  simply  rolls  itself  up  into  a  ball,  and 
you  cannot  get  at  it  anywhere.  The  hedgehog  uses  its  spikes  in  more  ways 
than  one.  Of  course  they  are  most  important  in  keeping  off  its  enemies,  and 
are  also  used  in  getting  down  from  high  places.  Many  people  have  seen  a 
hedgehog  come  to  the  top  of  a  wall,  in  some  cases  as  high  as  twelve  feet,  and, 
after  peering  down  cautiously,  roll  itself  into  a  ball  and  fall  over.  The  shock 
of  striking  the  ground  is  broken  by  its  spikes.  Then  the  hedgehog  quietly 
unrolls  itself  and  trots  off  about  its  business.  In  England  gypsies  have  a  curi- 
ous way  of  cooking  the  hedgehog.  They  cover  it  all  over  with  clay  like  a  ball, 
and  then  bake  it  in  a  fire.  When  the  hedgehog  is  cooked  they  break  the  clay 
ball  into  two  parts,  the  spikes  stick  to  the  clay,  and  the  flesh  can  then  be 
eaten.     The  hedgehog  is  usually  about  six  inches  lon< 


»g- 


FLYING 


Natural  Size). 


FLYING   SOUIRRLL. 

This  animal  is  called  the 
Sugar,  or  Flying  Squirrel. 
It  has  a  curious  growth  of  skin 
between  its  limbs  which,  when 
spread  out,  acts  as  a  kite,  and 
enables  it  to  leap  from  one 
tree  to  another. 


AUSTRALIAN   BEAR. 

Although  the  Australian 
Bear  belongs  to  the  kangaroo 
family,  it  lives  in  the  trees. 
It  seems  to  be  a  very  gentle 
creature  and  can  be  captured 
without  any  difficulty ;  but, 
like  all  gentle  animals,  it  oc- 
casionally goes  off  into  gusts 
of  passion.  It  is  about  the 
size  of  a  bull-terrier. 


,d2^^&^Jglf!k^^td 


KANGAROOS. 


THE   KANGAROO. 


The  Kangaroo  lives  in  Aus- 
tralia. It  is  usually  found  in  small 
companies,  and  always  in  charge  of 
a  leader.  The  kangaroo  was  first 
discovered  by  Captain  Cook,  in  New 
South  Wales,  in  1770,  and  it  is  said 
that  when  the  sailors  asked  the  na- 
tives the  name  of  the  strange  animal 
they  replied,  "  Kangaroo,"  which,  as  a 
matter  of  fact,  meant  in  their  lan- 
guage, "What  do  you  say?"  How- 
ever, this  name  has  remained  un- 
changed ever  since. 

The  skin  of  the  kangaroo  makes 
very  fine  leather,  and  its  flesh  is  good 
to  eat.  The  native  Australians  say 
that  it  affords   the  best  hunting  on 


the    continent.      The    men    ride   on 

horse-back,    while   a   pack    of   large, 

fierce    hounds   follow    the   kangaroo, 

which   goes    over    the   ground    at   a 

curious  gait,  consisting  of  a  series  of  immense  leaps.     Its  hind  legs  are  of 

great  size  and  strength,  and  when  brought  to  bay  the  creature  defends  itself 

with  kicks.     The  front  legs  are  very  small,  and  do  not  seem  to  be  of  much  use 

except  to  convey  food  to  the  mouth.     When  a  kangaroo  is  chased  by  hunters, 

it  has  an  odd  habit  of  looking  back  over  its  shoulder,  and  instances  have  been 

known  where  it  has  collided  with  a  tree,  and  thus  brought  itself  to  an  untimely 

end. 

Perhaps  the  most  wonderful  part  of  the  kangaroo  is  the  pouch  in  which  it 
carries  its  young.  The  baby  kangaroo,  when  first  born,  is  not  much  over  an 
inch  or  two  in  length,  and  for  about  eight  months  it  lives  in  this  pouch,  until  it 
is  strong  enougfi  to  hop  about  beside  its  mother.  The  doe  kangaroo  is  very 
watchful  of  her  young,  for  at  the  least  suspicion  of  danger,  the  youngster 
scrambles  into  the  pouch,  and  away  goes  the  mother  in  gigantic  leaps.  The 
kangaroo  thrives  well  in  England.  Quite  a  number  have  been  brought  from 
Australia,  and  are  now  to  be  seen  in  some  of  the  parks,  hopping  about  quite 
comfortably.  They  breed  freely,  too,  and  appear  to  stand  the  damp  climate 
very  well.     When  Captain  Cook  first  discovered  the  kangaroo,  they  roamed 


A   KANGAROO    HUNT. 


THE   TREE    KANGAROO. 


everywhere  in  great  numbers  from 
little  ones,  the  size  of  a  rabbit,  to 
the  old  fellows,  as  tall  as  a  man ; 
but  now  they  are  becoming  very 
rare,  and  it  looks  as  though  many 
species  might  become  extinct. 

At  present  the  kangaroo  is  lim- 
ited to  the  less  frequented  bush 
lands,  far  from  the  towns. 

The  kangaroo  can  be  taught  to 
box  with  boxing-gloves.  This  is 
sometimes  seen  in  a  circus,  but  the 
show  is  always  attended  with  some 
little  danger,  for  the  instant  the  kan- 
garoo thinks  it  is  getting  the  worst 
of  it,  it  will  kick,  and  a  kick  from 
a  full-grown  kangaroo  means  great 
injury,  if  not  death  outright. 

THE   TREE   KANGAROO. 

In   New  Guinea  is    found    the 

Tree   Kangaroo.     It   seems   odd 

to   think  that  one   of  this   curious 

tribe  of  animals  should  be  able  to 

climb  trees,  but  nevertheless  it  is  a  fact.     The  tree  kangaroo  scales  the  trees 

with  great  ease  in  its  search  for  leaves  and  wild  fruit,  on  which  it  lives. 

The  natives  of  New  Guinea  always  try  to  avoid  killing  the  tree  kangaroo. 
Any  native  who  should  be  unlucky  enough  to  kill  one  by  accident  is  imme- 
diately sent  away  into  the<  forest  by  his  companions,  for  fear  of  his  bringing  bad 
luck  to  the  tribe,  and  no  one  is  allowed  to  go  near  him,  or  take  him  any  food. 
As  venomous  snakes  and  dangerous  wild  animals  abound  in  the  jungles  the 
native  exile  seldom  comes  back  again. 

But  little  is  known  of  this  animal  in  its  wild  state,  beyond  the  fact  that  it 
is  very  sly  and  silent.  Its  fur  is  beautiful,  and  of  a  rich  dark  color.  There  is 
also  another  climbing  kangaroo  which  lives  among  the  rocks,  and  by  its  ex- 
traordinary power  of  leaping  from  one  bowlder  to  another,  defies  all  pursuit. 
This  is  its  way  of  escaping  when  chased  by  a  pack  of  dingo  dogs. 


THE  WOMBAT. 


WOMBAT   ('  ,  Natural  Size). 


JPS 


The  Wombat, 
much  like  a  beaver, 
natives  for  its  flesh. 


although  it  belongs  to  the  kangaroo  family,  looks  very 
It  is  common  all  over  Australia,  where  it  is  killed  by  the 
As  a  rule,  the  wombat  will  not  fight  when  it  is  caught, 
and  if  treated  well  becomes  very  tame  indeed.  An  Australian  ranchman  kept 
a  wombat  around  his  house  instead  of  a  cat.  It  would  sit  upon  its  hind  legs  to 
get  its  master  to  take  it  on  his  knee.  When  there  it  would  curl  itself  up  and 
go  to  sleep.  This  creature  at  times  would  become  very  angry,  and  use  its 
sharp  claws  and  chisel-like  teeth. 

The  wombat  is  not  particular  as  to  what  it  eats,  but  prefers  lettuce  and 
cabbage  to  anything  else.  When  wild  it  lives  in  burrows  of  immense  depth, 
which  it  digs  out.  They  are  bad  animals  to  have  near  roads  and  walls,  for  in 
a  short  time  they  will  honeycomb  the  earth  so  thoroughly  as  to  make  it  very 
dangerous  to  walk  upon.  The  natives  of  Australia  say  that  when  a  wombat 
comes  to  a  river  and  wishes  to  get  across,  it  does  not  appear  to  be  the  least 
put  out,  but  walks  right  into  the  water  and  so  reaches  the  other  side,  and  con- 
tinues its  journey  as  if  nothing  had  happened.  It  is  easily  able  to  defend 
itself  from  the  snakes  which  abound  in  the  bush,  but  it  never  seeks  a  quarrel 
with  a  snake  or  other  animal.  In  New  Holland  naturalists  have  found  the 
fossil  of  a  gigantic  wombat  which  must  have  been  nearly  as  large  as  a 
rhinoceros  when  alive. 


TASMANIAN   WOLF. 


as 


TASMANIAN    WOLF  (>/„  Natural  Size). 

The  Tasmanian  Wolf  is  found  in  the  island  trom  which  it  takes  its  name. 
It  is  not  exactly  like  the  wolf  of  India,  America,  and  Europe,  but,  neverthe- 
less, it  fills  its  place.  It  is  not  as  fierce  as  the  true  wolf,  but  at  the  same  time 
it  becomes  a  very  formidable  animal  when  urged  by  hunger  or  danger. 

As  soon  as  civilized  inhabitants  took  up  their  abode  in  Tasmania  the  wolf 
made  great  inroads  upon  their  sheep-flocks,  until  the  colonists,  in  self-defence, 
were  forced  to  begin  a  war  of  extermination.  By  degrees  the  Tasmanian  wolf 
was  driven  back  from  its  former  haunts,  where  it  once  reigned  supreme,  and  it 
is  seldom  seen  now  outside  the  copses  and  jungles. 

Curiously  enough,  the  Tasmanian  wolf  is  found  in  the  mountains  as  high 
up  as  six  thousand  feet,  for  it  does  not  seem  to  suffer  from  cold.  The  home 
of  the  Tasmanian  wolf  is  always  made  among  rocks,  where  the  mother-wolf  is 
comparatively  safe,  while  the  cubs  can  sleep  all  day  until  nightfall  makes  it 
safe  for  them  to  go  out.  The  wolf's  total  length  is  about  four  feet,  of  which 
the  tail  takes  up  about  fifteen  inches, 


/ 


TASMANIAN   DEVIL   KILLING   CHICKENS. 


TASMANIAN   DEVIL. 

No  animal  in  the  world  has  so  richly  deserved  its  name  as  the  . 
Devil.     The  ferocity  of  this  creature  can  hardly  be  conceived  except  by 
who  have  come  in  contact  with  it.     Even  in  captivity  its  sullen  and  purpose, 
anger  is  easily  excited.     It  is  absolutely  untamable.     Should  anyone  approacu 
its  cage,  it  will  tear  at  the  bars  with  its  teeth  and  claws  in  its  frantic  efforts  to 
get  out,  all  the  while  keeping  up  loud  screams  of  rage. 

In  the  early  days  of  Tasmania  the  devil  caused  great  losses  to  the  farmers 
through  its  wholesale  destruction  of  sheep,  pigs,  and  fowls.  Many  a  man  has 
been  nearly  torn  to  pieces  trying  to  defend  his  live-stock  from  one  of  these 
animals.  A  curious  thing  about  the  Tasmanian  devil  is  that  it  does  not  know 
what  fear  means.  When  beaten  off  by  an  enemy  stronger  than  itself,  it  returns 
to  the  attack  until  it  is  killed,  or  at  least  maimed.  No  animal  in  that  country 
will  face  it.  The  strength  of  jaw  in  the  Tasmanian  devil  is  so  great  that  it  can 
easily  crush  bones  that  would  defy  many  a  larger  animal. 

The  Tasmanian  devil  is  nocturnal  in  its  habits.  If  brought  into  a  strong 
light  it  blinks  stupidly  and  always  seeks  the  darkest  corner  of  its  cage.  When 
wild  it  digs  for  itself  a  deep  burrow  in  the  ground,  in  which  it  lives  the  year 
round.  Its  hind  feet  are  formed  something  like  those  of  a  bear,  so  that  it  is 
able  to  sit  up  on  its  haunches  and  eat  with  its  fore  paws.  Its  color  is  black, 
with  large  white  patches. 


TASMANIAN    DEVIL  ('/,  Natural  Size). 


THE  OPOSSUM. 


-  --  ->. 


If  every  youngster  does  not 
know  the  Opossum,  most  of 
them  know  what  "  playing  'pos- 
sum "  means.  When  an  opos- 
sum is  suddenly  cornered,  it 
will  feign  death  so  cleverly  as 
to  deceive  many  old  hunters. 
The  opossum  is  always  hungry, 
and    never   seems   to   have  had 


enough  to  eat. 


As  long  as  the 


woods  afford  }oung  leaves  and 
birds,  and  eggs,  and  the  lakes 
are  filled  with  young  frogs,  it 
keeps  out  of  man's  way;  but 
when  winter  comes  and  the 
supply  in  the  forest  runs  short, 
Master  Opossum  has  to  turn  to 
villages  to  get  a  meal.  The 
easiest  thing  for  it  to  attack  is 
the  hen-roost.  As  the  opossum  is  one  of  the  best  climbers  in  the  world,  it  is 
useless  to  build  walls  and  fences  to  keep  it  out,  and  the  only  thing  that  will 
protect  the  hens  is  a  tightly  closed  door.  At  night  one  often  hears  a  scream 
from  the  fowl-house,  and  investigation  shows  the  nest-eggs  sucked  and  the 
setter  dragged  off  to  the  woods. 

In  the  Southern  States  the  'possum  hunt  is  considered  fine  sport  by  the 
colored  folk.  Dogs  chase  the  opossum,  which,  by  the  way,  is  not  a  swift  ani- 
mal, and  force  it  to  take  to  a  tree.  Then  one  of  the  party  climbs  while  the 
opossum  goes  to  the  topmost  branch  in  its  endeavor  to  escape  its  enemies. 
At  last  it  loosens  its  hold  and  is  shaken  from  the  tree  to  the  ground,  where  it 
is  quickly  killed. 

The  little  opossums  when  first  born  are  very  delicate  indeed.  For  many 
days  they  are  both  blind  and  deaf,  but  as  they  grow  stronger  thev  are  carried 
around  on  the  mother's  back,  holding  on  with  their  little  tails  tightly  coiled 
around  her  tail,  and  thus  they  are  taken  through  the  trees  and  taught  to  hunt. 
The  mother  opossum  watches  over  her  young  very  tenderly,  and  will  resort  to 
many  clever  tricks  when  pressed  by  danger.  The  nest  of  the  opossum  is  usu- 
ally built  in  a  hollow  tree-stump. 


THE   SEALS. 


Now  we  come  to  the  Seal.  This  animal  breathes  air,  and  yet  lives  in  the 
water.  The  structure  of  the  skeleton  of  a  seal  is  something  between  a  mam- 
mal and  a  whale.  Its  body  is  long  and  tapers  to  the  end.  It  has  four 
imperfectly  formed  feet  called  "flippers,"  with  which  it  swims.  Seals  are 
found  in  almost  every  part  of  the  world,  but  mostly  in  the  Arctic  regions. 
Seals  have  a  very  fine  fur,  which  is  much  sought  after  in  the  market  to  make 
jackets.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  fur  is  double,  and  when  the  seal  swims  it  is 
pressed  close  against  its  skin,  the  two  coats  thus  keeping  the  water  away.  To 
make  the  fur  waterproof  an  oily  substance  is  secreted  in  the  body,  which  covers 
the  roots  of  the  fur.  The  seal  has  a  thick  layer  of  fat  which  protects  it  from 
the  cold  when  swimming  in  the  Arctic  seas.  Its  brain  is  large,  which  accounts 
for  it  being  a  very  intelligent  creature.  It  is  docile  and  affectionate,  and  can 
be  taught  to  do  numberless  tricks.  It  is  in  the  water  that  the  seal  is  most  at 
home.  It  swims  almost  entirely  with  its  hind  flippers,  and  pursues  the  swift- 
est fish  with  great  success,  for  its  curious  pointed  teeth,  firmly  imbedded  in 


\  GROUP  OF   WALRUS. 


THE   WALRUS. 


SEA   ELEPHANT. 

the  jaw,  make  it  almost  impossible  for  anything  to  get  away  once  it  is  fairly 
gripped. 

THE   WALRUS. 

The  Walrus  is  the  mightiest  specimen  of  the  seal  family.  It  measures 
between  fourteen  and  twenty  feet  long  and  weighs  several  tons.  All  Arctic 
explorers  agree  that  the  walrus  is  a  dangerous  animal.  On  land  its  move- 
ments are  slow  and  clumsy,  but  in  the  water  nothing  will  attack  the  walrus  if 
there  is  a  way  of  escape.  On  either  side  of  the  walrus's  jaw  are  two  large  tusks 
of  ivory.  With  these  the  walrus  drags  itself  out  of  the  water  onto  the  ice,  but 
when  cornered  it  uses  them  as  weapons  of  defence. 

On  one  occasion  a  party  of  hunters  spied  a  number  or  walrus  lying  op  an 
ice-floe.     On  attacking  them  most  of  the  creatures  escaped  into  the  water;  but 


THE   SEA-LION. 

one  old  bull  faced  around  and,  in  spite  of  its  lance-wounds,  fought  its  enemies. 
At  last  it  slid  into  the  water  and  began  to  swim  away.  The  hunters  hastily 
launched  a  boat  and  prepared  to  follow,  when  the  old  fellow  suddenly  turned 
on  them  and  with  his  tusks  fairly  ripped  the  side  out  of  the  boat,  throwing"  all 
the  men  into  the  water.  When  a  man  gets  into  difficulty  with  a  walrus,  such 
as  having  a  boat  upset,  all  the  other  walruses  round  about  come  up  to  help  and 
make  short  work  of  the  victim.  The  walrus  lives  to  a  «;ood  old  aefe  with  his 
mate,  and  is  an  affectionate  parent. 

THE   SEA-ELEPHANT. 

The  most  grotesque  of  all  the  seal  family  are  the  huge  Sea-Elephants, 
so  called  not  only  on  account  of  their  curious,  trunk-like  nose,  but  also  on 
account  of  their  size.  Some  specimens  of  the  sea-elephant  have  been  capt- 
ured which  were  over  twenty-five  feet  in  length  and  as  much  as  fifteen  feet 
in  circumference. 

The  sea-elephants  are  found  over  a  large  area  of  water  south  of  the  equator. 
Like  the  seals,  these  animals  migrate  to  the  south  as  summer  approaches,  and 
northward  when  the  cold  weather  sets  in.  They  are  easily  tamed  when  capt- 
ured very  young,  and  show  great  affection  toward  their  owners.  They  are 
much  shyer  and  rarer  than  the  common  seals. 

THE   SEA-LION. 

The  Sea-Lion  is  another  well-known  member  of  the  seal-folk.  If  you 
ever  visit  San  Francisco  you  will  be  sure  to  see  the  seal-rocks  where  the  sea- 
lion  lives.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  sea-lion  is  common  in  many  parts  of  the 
world,  and  especially  so  on  the  coast  of  Southern  and  Lower  California.  As 
its  skin  is  not  used  for  fur,  nor  its  flesh  good  to  eat,  it  has  never  been  per- 
secuted by  the  seal-hunter.  Anyone  who  has  visited  a  great  rookery  of  sea- 
lions  can  never  forget  it. 

Off  the  coast  of  California,  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  out  to  sea, 
there  is  a  mysterious  island  called  St.  Nicholas.  It  is  low,  sandy,  and  almost 
bare  of  vegetation  and  water.  There,  among  vast  numbers  of  pelicans,  loons, 
and  gulls,  lives  the  sea-lion  in  its  undisturbed  glory.  Throughout  the  night 
its  loud  roars  are  heard  above  the  boom  of  the  mighty  ocean  breakers  or 
the  whistle  of  the  wind.  The  confusion  of  animal  and  bird  noise  gives  one  a 
bewildering  impression  of  the  island  when  reached  by  night.  Once  an  explor- 
ing  party  went  ashore  and   walked    toward    the   rocks  on  which    the    large 


THE   SEA-LION. 


SEA-LION    ('/so  Natural  Size). 


rookery  stands.  Immediately  all  was  confusion.  The  old  bulls  stood  their 
ground  while  they  hurried  the  youngsters  and  females  into  the  water.  Find- 
ing that  no  harm  was  intended,  they  quieted  down  and  did  not  seem  to  mind 
people  walking  among  them.  However,  one  bull  charged  without  the  slight- 
est warning,  and  received  four  bullets  before  he  was  checked.  This  specimen 
measured  over  nine  feet  from  nose  to  tail,  while  its  teeth,  including  the  part 
buried  in  the  jaw,  were  about  four  and  one-half  inches  long.  A  little  while 
later  one  of  the  party  found  a  baby  sea-lion  not  much  bigger  than  a  good- 
sized  kitten.  It  was  carried  down  to  the  boat,  when  the  mother  was  seen 
following  close  astern.  The  poor  creature  kept  right  alongside,  and  after 
the  boat  had  reached  the  ship  she  kept  swimming  around  and  around,  with 
her  eyes  always  turned  toward  the  deck,  where  her  baby  was  being  admired. 
The  mother  sea-lion  continued  watching  and  crying  until  the  little  young- 
ster was  put  back  into  the  -water,  when  she  promptly  lead  it  off  toward  the 
rookery. 


THE    CRESTED    SEAL. 


Sea-lions  sometimes  leave  the  herds  and  travel  in  twos  and  threes,  or 
even  singly.  Their  advent  to  the  coast  can  always  be  seen  by  anyone  with  a 
sharp  pair  of  eyes.  The  small  seals,  which  usually  feed  upon  the  shallow- 
water  fish,  depart  hastily,  and  before  the  fish  have  fairly  noticed  that  they  are 
being  left  alone,  they  find  themselves  pursued  by  a  fiercer  and  hungrier  foe. 

THE   CRESTED   SEAL. 

The  Crested  Seals  are  curious  animals,  being  chiefly  remarkable  for  the 
odd  structure  which  they  have  on  their  heads.  The  real  object  of  these  crests 
has  never  been  discovered.  The  onset  of  a  herd  of  enraged  seals  is  much 
to  be  dreaded,  for  they  are  very  fierce  when  their  anger  is  aroused.  Their 
strength  is  great,  while  their  teeth  are  strong  and  sharp. 

As  spring  comes  around  there  are  fierce  battles  among  the  old  bulls  for 
the  possession  of  the  females.  The  rookeries  on  the  coast  of  Greenland,  which 
are  strictly  inhabitated  by  these  animals,  show  traces,  such  as  skeletons  with 


The  length   of  the 


crushed  skulls,  of  fearful  conflicts  having  taken  place 
crested  seal  is  about  ten  feet.  Its  fur  is  not  of  any  great  value.  It  has  never 
been  much  persecuted  by  man.  The  Esquimaux  hunt  the  crested  seals  with 
harpoons  having  a  line  and  air-bladder  which  will  float  attached  that  they  may 
always  locate  their  prey. 


THE    WHALES. 


Did  you  know  that  the  Whale  was  an  animal,  in  spite  of  its  living  in  the 
sea,  and  not  a  fish  ?  A  fish  can  stay  under  water  for  any  length  of  time,  but  a 
whale  must  breathe,  and  if  it  were  prevented  from  doing  so,  it  would  be 
drowned  just  the  same  as  a  man. 

From  the  skin  or  blubber  of  the  whale  is  obtained  a  splendid  oil,  and  from 
its  jaw  comes  whalebone.  In  fact,  almost  every  part  of  the  whale  is  of  some  use 
to  man.  The  whalebone  forms  a  screen  on  each  side  of  the  mouth,  and  after 
the  whale  has  taken  in  a  mouthful  of  little  fishes  out  of  a  shoal,  it  strains  the 
water  out  and  the  whalebone  keeps  the  fishes  in.  Sometimes  when  you  go 
to  sea  you  must  keep  a  sharp  look-out  for  whales,  and  you  will  generally  find 
where  they  are  by  watching  for  the  animal's  spouts  rising  in  the  air. 


AN   ANGRY    SPERM-WHALE. 


IN   THE   CROWS   NEST,  ON   THE  LOOKOUT  FOR  WHALES. 


THE    SPERM-WHALE. 


There  are  many  whales  in  all  parts  of  the  world,  but  the  most  valuable  is 
the  Sperm-Whale.  Every  year  ships  put  out  from  Scotland  through  the 
Antarctic  Ocean,  while  from  Japan  the  ships  search  the  North  and  South 
Pacific,  and  from  the  New  England  coast  the  whalers  go  up  toward  Greenland. 
The  method  of  hunting  the  whale  is  very  simple.  A  man  is  kept  at  the  mast- 
head of  the  ship  to  watch,  and  when  he  spies  a  whale,  he  yells,  "  There  she 
blows ! "  Instantly  all  is  bustle ;  a  couple  of  boats  are  launched  hastily,  but 
quietly,  and  rowed  toward  the  unsuspecting  whale.  These  boats  are  very  strong 
and  built  double-ended,  so  that  they  can  be  backed  as  easily  as  sent  forward. 
In  the  bow  stands  the  harpooner  with  his  weapon  in  hand;  then  come  four  or 
five  rowers  and  the  steersman,  and  the  barrels  containing  the  carefully  coiled 
rope  which  has  been  attached  to  the  harpoon.  The  rowers  spread  their  feet 
far  apart  to  allow  the  rope  to  run  between  them.  The  rope  is  so  tied  that  as 
soon  as  one  barrel  runs  out  another  begins,  and  it  must  be  remembered  that 
each  boat  contains  about  three  thousand  feet  of  rope.  Terrible  accidents  take 
place  every  now  artd  then,'  when  some  poor  fellow  gets  his  foot  caught  in  a 
loop  of  rope  and  is  whirled  overboard.  Before  any  help  can  be  given,  he  has 
been  carried  hundreds  of  feet  below  the  surface.  In  case  the  rope  in  the  whale- 
boat  shows  signs  of  being  entirely  exhausted,  the  officer  in  command  calls  up 
another  boat  and  makes  his  end  of  the  rope  fast  to  theirs,  thus  doubling  its 
length. 

The  whale  is  probably  asleep,  so  the  men  have  to  row  quietly  for  fear  of 
waking  it.  As  the  boat  approaches  within  a  few  yards,  the  harpooner  throws 
his  barb-headed  weapon  into  the  whale's  side,  and  at  the  same  time  shouts, 
"Back  water!"  The  whale,  feeling  the  pain,  dives  like  lightning.  Then  the 
skill  of  the  steersman  is  seen,  for  if  the  whale  should  turn  the  least  to  either 
side,  over  will  go  the  boat  and  be  instantly  destroyed.  Presently  the  whale 
gets  tired,  runs  short  of  wind,  and  slowly  rises  to  the  surface  to  breathe.  The 
boat  immediately  begins  to  take  in  the  slack  rope,  and  the  second  boat  has  its 
turn.  Rowing  up  like  its  companion,  a  second  harpoon  is  thrown,  and  away 
goes  the  whale  again,  with  two  boats  fast  to  it  now.  Sometimes  a  whale  keeps 
on  the  surface  instead  of  diving,  and  tows  the  boat  behind  it  at  a  great  speed. 
This  is  very  dangerous,  especially  if  the  sea  is  running  against  the  boat. 

The  rowers  sit  balancing  the  boat  and  watching  the  steersman,  for  it  is  on 
his  nerve  and  accuracy  that  every  life  depends.  After  the  whale  has  been 
attacked  in  this  manner  several  times,  it  begins  to  grow  feeble  from  loss  of 
blood.  So  the  boats  row  up  alongside,  and  thrust  lances  into  its  vitals  until 
it  is  killed.     Sometimes  the  whale  will  turn  on  its  enemies  and  charge  them 


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THE   GREENLAND    WHALE. 

with  open  jaws.  This  is  always  a  time  of  great  peril,  for  should  the  steers- 
man's nerve  fail  him  for  one  instant,  the  frail  boat  would  be  crushed  to  pieces 
in  the  monster's  jaws.  The  whale  usually  makes  one  gigantic  effort  called  a 
"  flurry,"  to  free  itself  before  it  finally  gives  up  the  fight. 

The  look-out  on  the  ship  keeps  a  sharp  eye  on  the  boats,  and  directly  it 
is  seen  that  a  "  kill  "  has  been  made,  the  ship  sails  toward  the  spot  with  all 
possible  speed.  But,  as  is  often  the 
case,  the  weather  is  dead  calm,  and 
there  is  nothing  for  the  men  in  the 
boats  to  do  but  to  make  a  rope  fast 
to  the  carcass  and  tow  it  to  the  ship. 
This  is,  perhaps,  the  worse  part  of 
the  job,  for  a  whale  tows  like  a  dead  harpoon  (»/„  Natural  size), 

weight,  and  the  fight  with  the  monster  has  left  the  men  all  but  exhausted. 
When  the  whale  is  brought  up  alongside  of  the  ship,  it  is  made  fast  by  huge 
chains  round  its  neck  and  tail.  Then  the  head  is  cut  off  and  hoisted  on  deck. 
This  is  a  work  of  great  labor,  as  the  head  is  frequently  twenty  feet  long  anl. 
weighs  as  much  as  ten  tons.  From  the  inside  is  taken  a  large  quantity  of 
valuable  oil,  and  from  the  jaws,  the  whalebone.  When  there  is  nothing  of 
value  left  the  fastenings  are  cut  loose,  and  the  motion  of  the  ship  rolls  the 
head  overboard.  Then  the  body  is  attended  to.  A  platform  is  rigged  over  the 
side,  upon  which  men  stand  with  sharp  knives  in  their  hands.  They  cut  down 
in  the  skin,  or  "blubber,"  as  it  is  called,  until  they  get  a  part  of  it  loose.  To  this 
they  make  fast  a  block  and  tackle,  and  as  the  strain  is  put  on  the  blubber  is 
loosened  from  the  body  with  knives.  The  blubber  is  frequently  taken  off  in  large 
pieces,  sometimes  twenty  feet  square.  This  is  promptly  sliced  up  and  put  to  boil 
in  large  pots  to  extract  the  oil.  When  all  the  blubber  has  been  stripped  off 
the  whale,  the  body  is  cut  loose  and  allowed  to  float  off,  where  it  is  rapidly  torn 
to  pieces  by  thousands  of  sharks  that  have  been  patiently  waiting  for  it. 

It  requires  several  days  to  take  all  the  oil  from  the  whale  and  get  the  ship  in 
working  order  again.  The  oil  is  stowed  away  in  large  "  tuns  "  down  in  the  hold. 
The  ship's  carpenter  examines  the  boats  for  strains  and  leaks,  the  harpooners 
test  the  ropes  and  lances,  while  the  crew  clear  the  mass  of  filth  and  flesh  off  the 
decks.     Then  the  ship's  course  is  shaped  again  and  another  whale  hunted  for. 

The  Greenland  Whale  is  not  hunted  for  by  the  whalers  chiefly  because 
it  has  nothing  of  value  about  it,  and,  moreover,  it  is  fierce  and  shows  battle. 
Should  a  boat  attempt  to  go  near  it,  it  is  almost  certain  to  be  destroyed  by  a 
mighty  sweep  of  the  huge  black  monster's  tail. 


m 


GREENLAND   WHALK. 


THE   RORQUAL    WHALE. 


The  Hump-backed  Whale  is  found  in  great  numbers  in  the  Arctic  seas. 
It  is  a  large  animal,  often  reaching  a  length  of  seventy-five  feet.  It  has  a 
curious  depression  in  the  middle  of  its  back  which  makes  it  appear  to  be 
hump-backed.  This  whale  yields  a  great  quantity  of  oil,  which  is  almost  as 
fine  as  sperm-oil.  Nevertheless,  the  whalers  avoid  the  hump-back  as  much  as 
possible.  Once  it  has  been  wounded  it  pursues  a  boat  until  it  has  destroyed 
it.  It  is  seldom  that  the  harpooner  can  kill  the  hump-back  outright,  even 
with  an  explosive  bomb-lance,  and  if  he  misses  his  stroke  altogether,  the  boat 
is  certain  to  be  destroyed  with  a  sweep  of  the  huge  creature's  tail. 


RORQUAL   WHALE. 


The  Rorqual  is  the  giant  among  the  whales,  for  it  is  larger  than  either 
the  sperm  or  Greenland  whale.  It  is  seldom  found  far  from  the  Arctic  regions. 
As  it  is  not  a  valuable  whale,  it  is  not  hunted.  The  rorqual  will  go  out  of 
its  way  to  attack  man,  and  its  onslaught  is  so  terrific  that  it  will  dash  a  boat  to 
pieces  almost  before  its  occupants  are  aware  that  their  enemy  is  nearby. 


THE  NARWHAL. 


The  Narwhal,  or  Sea  Unicorn,  as  it  is  sometimes  called,  gets  its  name 
from  the  extraordinary  ivory  horn  which  springs  from  the  middle  of  its  fore- 
head. It  is  a  large  animal,  growing  as  long  as  thirty  feet,  and  is  found  chiefly 
near  the  Arctic  circle.  It  seems  to  be  agreed  that  the  narwhal  uses  this  horn 
to  fight  with  its  fellows  and  not  for  spearing  the  fish  upon  which  it  feeds,  as 
was  at  first  believed.  Many  travellers  report  having  seen  shoals  of  these  ani- 
mals playing  together,  crossing  horns  like  men  fencing.  The  ivory  of  the 
narwhal's  horn  is  of  a  very  fine  character.  It  retains  its  pure  whiteness 
after  the  elephant's  ivory  has  turned  yellow.  The  hardness  of  the  ivory  is 
well  illustrated  by  the  fact  that  a  narwhal  drove  its  horn  through  the  ten- 
inch  oak  keel  of  a  schooner.  The  horn  snapped  off  and  was  found  embedded 
in  the  wood  when  the  ship  was  dry-docked. 

It  has  been  asserted  that  the  narwhals  will  mob  the  Greenland  whale  by 
swimming  on  each  side  of  it  and  beneath  it,  thus  preventing  it  from  turning  out 
of  its  course  or  diving.  A  whale  has  often  been  seen  swimming  rapidly  upon 
the  surface,  when  the  most  natural  thing  for  it  to  do  would  be  to  dive  to  escape 
from  its  enemies.  The  food  of  this  animal  consists  of  the  larger  fish,  such  as 
the  cod  and  halibut,  which  abound  in  the  Arctic  seas. 


THE   PORPOISE. 


Everyone  who  has  been  to  the  sea-shore  must  have  seen  a  Porpoise,  ior 
this  peculiar  animal  seldom  goes  far  from  the  coast.  It  follows  or  goes  ahead 
of  ocean-going  ships  to  catch  the  fish  started  up  by  them,  and  you  get  a  good 
chance  to  watch  them  jumping  in  and  out  of  the  water.  If  you  stand  up  in  the 
bow  of  a  vessel  you  will  soon  see  that,  no  matter  how  fast  the  ship  may  be 
going,  the  porpoise  keeps  a  few  feet  ahead,  and  goes  on  with  tireless  energy 
from  hour  to  hour,  seldom  leaving  its  post  except  to  dart  at  an  unwary  fish. 

There  are  places  all  over  the  world  which  are  famous  for  the  porpoise,  but 
perhaps  the  best  known  is  the  Gut  of  Gibraltar.  As  the  Mediterranean  is  full 
of  porpoises,  which  come  from  the  Atlantic,  they  are  bound  to  go  back  and 
forth  through  the  Straits  of  Gibraltar.  It  is  a  common  sight  to  see  thousands 
of  them  together,  from  the  youngsters  of  two  feet  up  to  the  old  fellows  eight 
and  nine  feet  long.  The  shoals  race  for  dear  life,  jumping,  gambolling,  and 
twisting  in  every  possible  shape,  and  hardly  have  you  a  good  sight  of  them 
when  they  vanish. 

The  porpoise  is  hated  by  all  fishermen  because  it  kills  the  fish,  as  it  is  ail- 
ways  hungry  ;  it  is  continually  on  the  move,  looking  for  food.  It  pursues  the 
shoals  of  herring  up  to  the  shore-line,  and  drives  the  terrified  fish  into  the  shal- 
low waters.  Not  content  with  this,  the  porpoise  goes  off  and  watches  until  the 
little  fishes  have  recovered  from  their  fright  and  formed  themselves  into  shoals 
again ;  then  it  suddenly  appears  among  them  and  the  race  for  life  begins  once 


THE   GRAMPUS. 


more.  When  the  fishes  in  a  locality  have  been  utterly  destroyed,  the  porpoise 
departs  in  search  of  other  hunting-grounds.  It  often  happens  that  the  shoals 
of  fish  are  driven  out  of  the  water  up  onto  the  beach  in  their  frantic  haste  to 
get  away,  and  sometimes  the  porpoise  follows  them.  The  porpoises  flop 
about  helplessly,  and  fall  an  easy  prey  to  the  fishermen.  The  hide  of  the 
porpoise,  when  tanned,  makes  a  tough  leather,  while  the  coating  of  fat  under 
the  skin,  when  melted,  makes  a  fine  delicate  oil. 

THE  GRAMPUS. 


The  Grampus  belongs  to  this  same  family,  although  it  is  a  very  different 
creature.  In  the  first  place,  it  is  much  larger  than  the  porpoise,  often  meas- 
uring twenty-five  to  thirty  feet  in  length.  What  the  porpoise  is  to  the  small 
fish  of  our  shores,  the  grampus  is  to  the  large  ones  of  the  Arctic  regions,  pur- 
suing them  with  an  appetite  which  never  seems  satisfied.  On  several  occasions 
young  dolphins  and  porpoises,  as  well  as  cod,  skate,  and  halibut,  have  been 
found  in  the  grampus's  stomach.  One  of  their  favorite  amusements  is  mob- 
bing the  huge  Greenland  whale.  They  spring  out  of  the  water  and  catch  the 
whale  with  blows  of  their  tails.  It  is  said  that  the  sword-fish  also  joins  in 
the  fun  and  prevents  the  whale  from  diving  by  threatening  it  with  its  sword. 
This  cannot  be  proved,  but  it  has  been  noticed  that  the  whale  takes  a  series 


THE   DOLPHIN. 


of  little  dives  and  rises  quickly  to  the  surface,  which  shows  that  something 
below  keeps  it  from  sinking  to  a  depth  where  the  grampus  could  not  follow. 


THE   DOLPHIN. 


The  Dolphin  has  been  called  the  poet  of  the  sea.  Shakespeare  wrote 
about  the  "  mermaid  on  a  dolphin's  back,  uttering  such  dulcet  and  harmonious 
breath,  that  the  rude  sea  grew  civil  at  her  song."  As  a  matter  of  fact,  there  is 
nothing  poetical  about  the  dolphin.  It  is  a  great  big  hungry  beast,  always 
racing  up  and  down  the  ocean  like  the  rest  of  its  family,  in  search  of  some- 
thing to  eat.  Its  swimming  is  very  graceful,  and  when  it  comes  alongside  a 
ship  one  cannot  help  admiring  its  magnificent  sweeping  motion.  The  fear- 
lessness of  the  dolphin  often  gets  it  into  trouble,  for  sailors  are  very  fond  of 
harpooning  them  with  a  steel  trident.  The  dolphin  swims  quite  close  to  the 
ship  when  it  is  satisfied  that  no  harm  is  intended,  and  then  suddenly  it  is  har- 
pooned from  the  bows  and  hauled  kicking  on  deck,  where  it  is  quickly  killed. 

Men  frequently  amuse  themselves  at  sea  by  shooting  with  revolvers  at  a 
dolphin.  The  bullets  never  do  any  harm,  for  they  cannot  pierce  its  tough, 
leathery  skin. 

The  brain  of  the  dolphin  is  very  large,  and  it  has  shown  great  intelligence 
in  captivity.  The  eyes  of  the  dolphin  are  small  and  are  covered  with  eyelids; 
the  pupil  is  heart-shaped. 


THE   MANATEE. 


lt§tf'^-^i 


The  Manatee  is  a  curious-looking  creature.  At  first  sight  one  might 
imagine  that  it  was  a  mixture  of  the  hippopotamus  and  the  seal.  There  are 
several  kinds  of  manatee,  one  of  which  is  found  on. the  west  coast  of  Africa; 
the  others  live  in  America.  They  are  generally  found  at  the  mouths  of  large 
rivers,  such  as  the  Amazon  and  the  Orinoco  in  South  America.  They  feed  on 
the  grass  and  herbs  that  grow  so  abundantly  in  the  tropics.  The  skin  of  the 
manatee  is  very  valuable,  and  when  tanned  it  is  thick  and  flexible  like  cow- 
hide, and  can  be  cut  into  long  strips.  One  of  the  most  extraordinary  features 
of  the  manatee  is  the  fleshy  disk  at  the  end  of  its  nose.  It  is  said  that  as  the 
manatee  feeds  entirely  on  grass  and  herbs,  this  disk  protects  its  nostrils  from 
getting  filled  up.  There  was  a  time  when  the  manatee  was  quite  plentiful 
around  the  coast  of  Florida,  and  especially  at  Tampa  Bay,  but  it  has  almost 
entirely  disappeared,  and  it  looks  now  as  if  it  would  become  extinct.  The 
Seminole  Indians  used  to  hunt  the  manatee  a  great  deal,  and  it  was  they  who 
started  the  war  which  has  all  but  driven  the  poor  creature  out  of  existence. 

The  Indians  near  the  mouth  of  the  Orinoco  River  harpoon  the  manatee. 
They  build  a  platform  in  the  water  near  the  grasses  where  the  manatee  feeds. 
The  creature,  when  it  approaches,  can  easily  be  seen  by  the  Indians,  who  hurl 
their  weapous,  which  have  bladders  attached.  These  float  upon  the  water  and 
show  where,  the  quarry  lies. 


THE   DUGONG. 


The  main  difference  between  the  manatee  and  the  Dugong  is  in  its  tail. 
The  manatee's  tail  is  rounded,  while  the  tail  of  the  dugong  is  sharp  like  a  fish. 
The  dugong  lives  in  Ceylon,  and  is  said  to  be  the  cause  of  the  many  Indian 
mermaid  stories.  This  animal  has  a  curious  way  of  sitting  upright  in  the 
water,  and  during  the  breeding-season  clasping  its  young  to  its  breast  like  a 
woman  holding  a  child.  If  alarmed  it  instantly  dives,  throwing  up  its  fish-like 
tail.  Many  hunters  admit  that  the  likeness  of  the  animal  to  a  human  being, 
when  seen  at  a  distance,  is  very  startling.  It  is  huge  in  size,  and  one  speci- 
men has  been  killed  reaching  twenty-six  feet  in  length. 

The  dugongs  are  of  an  affectionate  disposition.  Should  a  female  dugong 
be  shot,  the  male  will  remain  near  the  body  and  cannot  be  frightened  away. 
Whenever  hunters  find  dugongs  in  pairs,  they  try  to  kill  the  female  first. 

There  was  a  great  specimen  of  the  dugong  family  discovered  on  an  island 
in  the  Behring  Strait  in  the  year  1741,  and  shipwrecked  sailors  found  these  ani- 
mals good  for  food  and  without  weapons  of  defence.  The  news  soon  spread, 
and  other  vessels  stopped  at  the  island  and  killed  the  animals  mercilessly. 
The  result  was  that  when  the  Russian  authorities  examined  into  the  condition 
of  the  animals  in  1768,  twenty-seven  years  later,  they  found  that  every  speci- 
men had  been  killed. 


THE  RODENTS,  OR  GNAWING  ANIMALS. 


THE   RAT 


The  Rat  is  the  first  member  of  the  gnawing  animals  we  come  to.  They 
are  a  very  much  larger  family  than  you  would  suppose,  for  nearly  one-third  of 
all  the  animals  in  the  world  belong  to  the  rodents,  or  gnawing  animals.  The 
origin  of  the  name  "rodent"  comes  from  the  fact  that  animals  classed  under 
this  head  have  sharp,  chisel-like  teeth.  Of  course,  the  habit  of  gnawing  is 
always  wearing  the  teeth  down,  and  to  prevent  the  animal  being  left  without 
anv  teeth  at  all,  a  substance  is  formed  in  the  jaw  which  helps  to  grow  very 
quickly.  Lots  of  cases  have  been  known  where  the  upper  tooth  in  a  rat's  jaw 
has  become  broken.  There  is  nothing  to  prevent  the  lower  tooth  from  grow- 
ing as  fast  as  it  likes.  The  result  is  that  the  teeth  take  the  most  wonderful 
shapes,  such  as  a  circle,  or  like  a  boar's  tusk,  and  its  poor  owner,  not  being 
able  to  use  its  mouth,  dies  of  starvation.  Rats  gnaw  wood  ;  so  do  mice, 
squirrels,  beavers,  and  porcupines ;  therefore,  they  are  rodents. 


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BLACK    RAT. 


BROWN    RAT    (h  Natural  Sue/. 


MICE. 

The  rat  is  the  strongest  and  fiercest  of  the  family  for  its  size.  It  is  a 
match  for  almost  any  animal,  while  its  fellows  have  wonderful  ideas  of  com- 
bination. Quite  a  number  of  rats  will  attack  a  dog  or  a  man  who  is  pushing 
one  rat  too  hard,  yet  should  the  same  rat  be  unlucky  enough  to  fall  into  a 
steel  trap,  its  fellows  immediately  pounce  upon  it  and  tear  it  to  pieces  instead 
of  helping  it  out. 

The  female  rat  is  loving  to  her  young  and  very  watchful,  for  the  male  rat 
is  always  on  the  lookout  for  a  chance  to  eat  up  its  young  ones.  Rats  multi- 
ply quickly,  for  they  often  have  three  broods  of  young  in  a  year,  and  as  many 
as  twelve  and  sixteen  at  a  time. 

There  are  many  crimes  for  which  rats  are  hated.  They  live  in  drains 
and  bring  disease  into  houses.  On  the  other  hand,  though,  rats  sometimes  act 
as  a  warning  to  the  householder,  for  should  he  discover  rats  running  about 
in  his  cellars,  it  is  generally  safe  to  say  that  they  come  from  the  drains,  prov- 
ing thereby  that  there  is  a  leak.  Their  voracious  appetites  cause  them  to 
make  inroads  into  stores,  granaries,  and  warehouses,  where  they  commit  great 
damage.  A  hay-rick  often  becomes  honey-combed  by  rats  without  the  slight- 
est outward  sign  of  it.  There  is  nothing  for  the  farmer  to  do  but  to  pull  his 
rick  to  pieces  and  rebuild  it  on  piles  surrounded  by  water.  The  farmer  need 
not  take  the  trouble  to  shake  the  rats  out  of  the  hay,  because,  being  very  thirsty 
animals,  they  will  jump  down  to  the  ground  to  obtain  water,  and  be  unable 
to  get  back  again. 

Rats  are  intelligent  creatures  and  easily  tamed.  They  will  follow  their 
master  about  and  do  lots  of  tricks,  such  as  pulling  a  little  toy-cart.  Boys  have 
carried  rats  to  school,  and  they  have  laid  so  snugly  and  quietly  in  their  sleeves 
that  they  have  escaped  the  teacher's  eye.  Tamed  rats  can  be  caged  together, 
but  every  now  and, then  their  instinct  gets  the  upper  hand,  and  they  have  fierce 
battles  among  themselves,  in  which  one  or  more  are  frequently  killed. 


MICE. 

The  Mice,  like  their  cousins,  the  rats,  live  in  both  town  and  country.  In 
the  cities  the  mice  do  a  great  deal  of  damage,  but  in  the  country  they  are 
harmless.  They  are  bold  and  playful,  as  anyone  can  witness  who  has 
watched  them  running  about  a  room.  They  are  just  as  curious  as  cats,  and 
will  always  examine  strange  objects  or  new  furniture  in  a  room.  They  run 
squeaking  and  shuffling  in  their  playful  way  through  the  walls  and  plaster 
just  as  if  they  owned  the  whole  place.     Mice  are  very  easy  to  tame,  and  if 


MICE. 


:d,  will  run  about  everywhere  with  the  utmost  confidence.  The 
they  are  kept  should  be  clean,  as  mice,  in  spite  of  public  opinion, 
animals. 

p  people  quarrel  very  much  about  the  "singing  mice."  There  is 
no  doubt  that  mice  can  make  a  chirping  noise.  The  Rev.  J.  G.  Wood  tells  a 
story  of  a  family  of  mice  that  lived 
in  his  kitchen.  Instead  of  killing 
them,  they  were  allowed  to  run 
about,  and  merrily  they  took  ad- 
vantage of  the  permission.  In  the 
same  kitchen  lived  a  singing  canary, 
and  he  noticed  that  by  degrees  the 
chirp  of  the  mice  changed  to  an  exact 
imitation  of  the  canary's  song.  One 
mouse  was  much  cleverer  than  the 
others  at  it.  The  result  was  very 
pleasing,  for  while  the  canary's  notes 
were  stronger  and  sweeter,  that  of 
the  mice  was  softer  and  more  deli- 
cate. The  imitation  was  so  complete 
that  guests  at  night,  when  the  mice 
were  out,  would  look  toward  the 
canary's  cage,  saying,  "  Is  the  bird 
singing:  ? "  when  it  would  be  sitting 
with  its  head  tucked  under  its  wing-. 

Mice  have  countless  enemies. 
While  they  stay  in  the  barns,  there  is 
always  the  danger  of  being  trapped;  in  the  houses  there  are  the  cats;  in  the 
yards,  the  dogs ;  while  out  in  the  open  fields  the  hawks  and  snakes  and 
weasels  are  forever  watching  for  them.  In  the  winter-time  numbers  of  mice 
die  from  cold,  or  for  want  of  food,  but  in  spite  of  all  these  troubles,  they  seem 
to  thrive  and  prosper. 

There  are  many  varieties  of  mice  which  boys  make  pets  of;  for  instance, 
the  white  mice.  But  they  become  a  great  nuisance  if  they  get  out  of  control. 
A  boy  once  allowed  a  pair  of  white  mice  to  escape,  and  in  a  short  time  the 
house  was  overrun  with  numbers  of  the  little  creatures.  These  mice  kept  on 
rapidly  increasing,  in  spite  of  cats  and  traps,  and  even  spread  to  the  garden, 
where  they  were  seen  running  over  the  rocks  and  flower-beds. 


MICE    (Natural  Size). 


THE   LEMMING. 


The  tiny  Lemming  is  one  of  the  most  mysterious  little  creatures  in  the 
world.  The  Norwegians  and  Laps  believe  that  these  animals'  come  from 
the  clouds,  because  they  are  only  seen  in  periods  of  from  four  to  fifteen 
years,  when  they  come  in  millions  and  sweep  over  the  land  like  an  invading 
army.  Nobody  seems  quite  to  know  where  they  come  from.  The  damage 
they  do  is  fearful,  for  they  march  in  a  straight  line,  allowing  nothing  to  check 
their  course.  Should  a  man  or  beast 
be  unlucky  enough  to  cross  their  path, 
they  rush  into  the  attack  at  once. 
They  make  the  land  look  as  though  a 
plague  of  locusts  had  visited  it.  The 
small  animals,  such  as  the  rats  and 
mice,  fly  before  the  army.  Although 
a  rat  is  more  than  a  match  for  a  single 
lemming,  the  numbers  of  the  latter 
are  so  great  that  the  rat  is  left  no 
alternative  except  flight. 

Even  fire  will  hardly  check  the 
lemming.  It  has  been  proved  that 
cows  and  reindeer  will  not  eat  the 
grass  that  a  lemming  has  walked 
over.  The  reason  of  these  wonderful 
migrations  has  been  a  puzzle  to  nat- 
uralists for  many  years.  Some  claim 
it  is  hunger,  and  that  an  overwhelm- 
ing instinct  drives  the  lemming  on- 
ward.  These  little  animals  arc  readily 
devoured  by  scores  of  kites  and  crows 
which  follow  their  movements,  while  the  fish  make  fearful  havoc  in  their  ranks 
when  they  cross  the  lakes  and  rivers.  These  marches  generally  end  in  the 
sea,  where  the  few  that  have  survived  the  perils  of  the  journey  are  drowned. 
The  lencrth  of  the  lemming  is  about  six  inches  and  its  tail  half  an  inch. 

It  is  strange  that  there  always  seem  to  be  enough  lemmings  left  to  save 
the  species  from  extinction,  and  in  a  few  years  they  are  as  plentiful  as  ever. 

There  is  a  species  of  lemming  found  in  America  up  around  the  Hudson 
Bay  country;  in  fact,  it  is  sometimes  called  the  Hudson  Bay  lemming.  In  the 
winter  its  fur,  which  is  light  brown  during  the  summer  months,  turns  to  a 
snowy  white.     It  is  very  valuable  then. 


LEMMING    (H  Natural  Size). 


THE    HAMSTER. 


The  Hamster  is  an  animal  something  like  the  lemming,  but  there  is  a 
big  difference  in  their  sizes,  for  the  hamster  reaches  a  length  of  fifteen  inches. 
This  animal  is  a  great  pest  in  Northern  Europe.  It  systematically  collects 
grain  and  corn  from  the  fields  for  a  winter  store.  The  way  it  does  it  is  to  pull 
down  a  stalk  to  get  the  fruit,  and  stuff  its  pouch  as  full  as  it  can,  and  then  go 
to  its  burrow,  empty  it,  and  return  for  more.  When  occupied  in  this  way  the 
hamster  becomes  so  absorbed  that  anyone  can  walk  up  quite  close  to  it  and 
watch  its  actions,  provided  no  noise  or  sudden  movement  is  made. 

As  the  hamster's  skin  is  of  some  value,  many  hunters  are  employed  to  rid 
the  farmer  of  the  pest,  and  also  to  supply  the  market  with  the  fur.  The  dam- 
age that  the  hamster  does  to  the  farmer  can  be  realized  by  the  fact  that  when 
a  burrow  has  been  dug  out,  as  much  as  sixty  pounds  of  corn  and  one  hundred 
pounds  of  beans  have  been  found.  It  is  quite  a  common  thing  for  the  farmer 
to  dig  out  the  burrows  to  recover  stolen  wares. 

The  hamster  is  dull  and  ferocious.  It  will  fight  anything  without  respect 
to  size  or  strength.  When  one  has  been  crushed  by  awheel  or  stone,  it  will 
turn  and  bite  it.  The  hamster  will  worry  the  end  of  a  stick  as  if  it  were  a  liv- 
ing animal.  When  startled  by  any  noise,  the  hamster  has  a  curious  habit  of 
sitting  up  on  its  haunches  like  a  rabbit,  and  staring  in  the  direction  from  which 
the  sound  came. 


BEAVERS  AT  WORK,     (i/io  Natural  Size.) 


THE   BEAVER. 

The  Beaver  has  one  of  the  most  beautiful  skins  in  the  world.  Its  fur  has 
become  famous  in  Europe  and  America.  The  beaver  is  also  noted  for  its 
skill  as  an  engineer.  As  a  rule,  the  beaver  lives  on  the  banks  of  small  creeks 
and  rivers,  and  to  prevent  the  supply  of  water  from  running  short,  it  makes 
wonderful  dams.  When  an  engineer  wishes  to  dam  up  a  stream,  he  usually 
begins  by  pile-driving;  but  this  little  animal-engineer  goes  at  it  another  way. 
It  lays  the  logs  (which  are  from  six  to  fifteen  inches  thick,  and  from  two  to  six 
feet  long)  flat  on  the  bed  of  the  stream,  and  then  heaps  stones  and  mud  upon 
them  to  keep  them  down.  Gradually  a  dam  rises  out  of  the  water.  So  clever 
are  the  beavers  that  they  make  the  wall  of  the  dam  round  if  the  current  is  very 
swift,  so  that  the  water  cannot  bear  too  much  strain  on  one  spot.  If  the  water 
is  sluggish,  the  dam  is  built  straight  across  the  stream.  The  skilful  engineer- 
ing of  the  beaver  is  displayed  best  when  a  large  dam  is  built,  one  as  large  as 
two  hundred  and  fifty  or  three  hundred  and  fifty  yards  in  length.  The  bark 
of  the  logs  is  stripped  off  and  stored  away  for  the  winter's  food. 

The  beavers  themselves  live  in  curious  little  houses  called  "  lodges." 
They  look  for  all  the  world  like  Esquimau  huts.  The  walls  are  composed 
of  moss,  branches,  and  mud.  While  the  house-building  is  going  on  in  the 
spring,  the  beaver  is  open  to  attacks  from  its  enemies,  especially  the  wolver- 
ine, which  is  ever  on  the  watch  for  the  unwary  ones.  But  when  winter  has 
set  in,  the  beaver  is  safe.  The  fearful  cold  of  the  North  turns  the  damp  moss 
and  mud  of  the  lodge  into  a  solid  wall,  which  even  the  wolverine's  strong 
claws  cannot  break  through.  As  many  as  half  a  dozen  beavers  live  in  a  lodge, 
each  having  a  separate  bed.  The  young  are  born  early  in  the  spring,  and  as 
soon  as  the  ice  breaks  up  they  come  out  and  accompany  their  parents. 

One  often  hears  of  beaver  canals  and  wonders  what  they  are  for.  Should 
a  number  of  large  trees,  that  the  beaver  needs,  grow  some  distance  from  the 
dam,  it  digs  a  canal  up  to  the  place.  It  has  very  sharp  teeth,  which  enable  it 
to  gnaw  through  the  trees  needed  for  its  building  purposes.  These  it  cleverly 
fells  so  that  they  fall  near  the  right  spot;  then  it  saws  them  with  its  teeth  into 
proper  lengths  and  floats  them  down  to  the  dam.  These  canals  are  often 
over  six  hundred  feet  in  length.  This  work  can  only  be  done  when  the 
ground  is  perfectly  level. 

Toward  spring,  when  the  frost  allows  the  beavers  to  come  out  once 
more,  they  look  very  thin  and  scraggy,  but  in  a  month  they  grow  just  as  fat 
and  plump  as  ever.  The  length  of  the  beaver  is  from  three  to  four  feet.  Its 
legs  are  short  and  it  is  a  clumsy  walker,  and  will  never  travel  by  land  if  it  can 
go  where  it  wants  to  by  water. 


BEAVERS  CONSTRUCTING  A  DAM. 


MUSK-RAT   and    RACOONDA. 


MUSK-RAT    ('/,  Natural  Size). 

The  Musk-rat  is  a  native  of  North  America  and  makes  its  home  near 
the  large  rivers.     It  is  a  bright,  playful,  gentle  little  creature,  but  as  its  fur  is 


RACOONDA    {%  Natural  Size). 


PORCUPINE. 


of  a  fine  grade,  it  is  persecuted  by  the  trappers.  The  musk-rat  is  a  clumsy 
walker,  and  is  seldom  seen  more  than  a  few  yards  from  water.  It  is  an  expert 
swimmer,  but  does  not  use  its  powers  to  prey  upon  fish.  It  feeds  upon  vege- 
table matter. 

The  Racoonda  takes  the  place  of  the  musk-rat  in  South  America.  It  is 
easily  tamed,  but  when  angry  is  more  than  a  match  for  a  small  dog. 

The  teeth  of  the  racoonda  are  very  sharp,  and  are  used  to  gnaw  through 
branches  of  trees.     The  bark  of  the  trees  is  stored  away  for  food. 

PORCUPINE. 

One  always  thinks  of  the  Porcupine  as  living  entirely  in  the  tropics.  As 
a  matter  of  fact,  it  is  found  from  the  equator  to  Southern  Europe.  As  it  never 
comes  out  in  daylight,  it  is  thought  to  be  much  rarer  than  it  is. 

The  teeth  of  the  porcupine  are  chisel-like  and  very  sharp,  capable  of  cut- 
ting' the  hardest  wood ;  yet  it  seldom  uses  them  when  defending  itself  against 
its  enemies.  The  nose  of  the  porcupine  is  very  sensitive,  and  the  creature  can 
be  easily  stunned  by  a  blow  on  it;  hence  its  first  instinct  is  to  protect  its  head. 
Like  the  hedge-hog,  the  porcupine  curls  itself  up  into  a  ball  when  it  scents  an 
enemy,  and,  sticking  out  all  its  quills,  it  presents  a  formidable  front.  The  ends 
of  the  quills  are  barbed.  They  separate  from  the  porcupine's  body  very  easily 
and  if  stuck  into  the  flesh,  work  their  way  in.  Large  animals,  like  the  leopard, 
have  been  killed  in  India  and  found  to  contain  the  ends  of  quills,  showing 
that,  after  all,  the  leopard  is  no  match  for  the  porcupine. 

The  porcupine  lives  in  burrows  in  the  earth.  It  is  quite  a  common  sport 
in  India  to  hunt  them  with  dogs.  Having  found  one  end  of  the  porcupine's 
burrow,  the  hunter  stuffs  it  up  with  straw  and  sets  fire  to  it.  The  porcupine 
growls  angrily,  but  is  soon  smoked  out  and  makes  a  rush  from  its  hole  at  the 
other  end.  Immediately  it  falls  into  the  clutches  of  the  terriers  watching  for  it. 
But  quicker  than  a  flash  the  porcupine  tucks  its  head  in,  puts  out  its  quills  and 
rolls  among  the  dogs,  who  bound  away  with  yelps  of  pain.  Frequently  the 
battle  ends  in  favor  of  the  porcupine,  whose  patience  outlasts  the  thirst  for 
blood  of  the  terriers.  The  beast  cannot  be  lifted  up,  as  it  is  quite  heavy  and 
its  quills  come  out  of  the  skin  so  easily.  The  only  thing  to  do  is  to  roll  it 
with  a  stick  to  the  nearest  water,  where  it  will  be  compelled  to  swim  and 
expose  itself  to  attack  or  be  drowned.  It  is  a  curious  fact  that  in  a  battle  of 
this  kind  the  porcupine  seldom  uses  its  teeth,  which  certainly  would  afford  it 
as  great  a  protection  as  its  quills.     It  seems  to  rely  wholly  on  the  latter. 


mm 

-JBnl- 


m&z0y 


PORCUPINE,     (i/io  Natural  Size.) 


JAGUAR  STALKING  CAPYBARAS. 


THE   CAPYBARA. 


The  Capybara  is  the  largest  of  the  rodents.  Its  size  is  equal  to  a  iuige 
pig.     This  eurious  creature  is  found  all  over  Central  and  South  America. 

A  capybara  can  stay  under  water  nearly  ten  minutes,  and  when  it  does 
come  to  the  surface  it  only  pushes  the  end  of  its  nose  out.  It  is  quite  safe  in 
diving,  except  from  animals  as  expert  as  itself,  and  these  are  few  indeed.  A 
hunter  relates  his  experience  with  a  herd  of  these  animals. 

They  were  all  feeding  near  a  deep  and  broad  stream  when  something 
alarmed  them.  Instantly  a  large  male,  which  seemed  to  be  the  leader,  gave  a 
cry,  something  between  the  bark  of  a  dog  and  a  grunt,  and  away  the  herd  flew 
into  the  water.  The  enemy  proved  to  be  a  huge  anaconda  snake,  which  glided 
into  the  water  like  lightning  after  the  capybaras.  The  herd  scattered  at  once 
and  then  the  hunter  was  able  to  see  their  marvellous  diving  habits.  The 
hunter  noticed  that  the  huge  snake  landed  on  the  other  river-bank  and  made 
off  quietly.  In  a  moment  or  two  first  one  and  then  another  capybara  popped 
its  head  up,  and  then  all  swam  to  the  shore  and  began  eating.  Shortly 
afterward,  they  became  uneasy  again,  and  without  the  slightest  warning,  a 
jaguar  sprang  among  the  group  and  pulled  down  one  poor  beast.     Just  as  the 


<><m 


AGOUTI. 


jaguar  had  gripped  its  victim  in  its  jaws  to  carry  it  off,  it  came  face  to  face 
with  the  hunter.  Astonishment  gave  place  to  anger,  and  it  dropped  its  prey 
with  a  snarl.     At  the  same  instant  the  hunter  raised  his  rifle  and  fired. 


AGOUTI. 

The  Agouti  lives  in  the  West  Indian  Islands  and  South  America.  It  is 
a  great  pest  in  gardens,  for  it  will  devour  every  kind  of  vegetable  that  comes 
in  its  way.  It  is  a  little  smaller  than  a  hare,  and  when  running  might  be  mis- 
taken for  the  latter.  Although  it  is  easy  to  tame  the  agouti,  it  will  never 
become  popular,  for  its  teeth  are  too  sharp.  It  will  gnaw  its  way  through  an 
ordinary  oak  door  with  ease;  and,  moreover,  has  a  habit  of  trying  its  teeth 
upon  everything  that  comes  within 
its  reach,  such  as  tables,  chairs, 
trees,  etc.  While  light  and  active 
when  wild,  it  becomes  utterly 
stupid  when  caged,  never  taking 
much  notice,  whether  it  is  kindly 
or  cruelly  treated. 

HARE. 

The     common     Hare    is    a 
beautiful,    graceful    creature,  well 
known     all     over     Europe     and 
America.     Although  the  family  is 
a  large  one,  there  is  a  strong  like- 
ness     between    them    all.       The 
name    "timidus"    has    been    at- 
tached  to   the  hare,  but  it  is  not   j| 
exactly  just.     In  fact,  with  a  rea-    J 
sonable  chance,  the  hare  is  quite    « 
brave.     Should  a  young  hare  be  agouti  (»/,  Natural  size). 

capered,  the  parents  will  sometimes  go  to  the  rescue,  even  if  it  is  in  the  hands 
of  a  man.  Among  themselves  the  hares  have  fierce  battles,  during  which  thev 
become  so  absorbed  that  they  may  be  approached  without  the  slightest  notice 
being  taken  of  the  intruder.  The  hind  legs  of  the  hare  are  very  long  and 
possess  great  strength.     When  running,  the  hare  sometimes  takes  a  series  of 


THE   HARE. 


THE    HARE    ('/«  Natural  Size). 

immense  leaps,  and  so  great  is  the  spring  that  they  often  lose  their  balance  in 
alighting,  and  roll  quite  a  distance  before  they  can  recover  themselves.  Many 
people  believe  that  the  hare  is  cleverer  than  the  fox.  Whether  this  is  true  or 
not,  the  hare  certainly  does  a  number  of  tricks  which  entitle  it  to  some  repu- 
tation. 

Hares  are  hunted  in  England  (much  in  the  same  way  as  foxes)  with  hounds, 
called  "harriers."  Under  these  circumstances,  the  hare  is  forced  to  show  all  its 
shrewdness.  Although  it  is  swift  on  its  feet  and  capable  of  a  long  chase,  the 
dogged  persistence  of  the  harriers  often  bring  them  closer  to  Master  Hare  than 
he  likes.  When  the  hare  is  hunted,  it  chooses  its  ground  carefully  and  will 
cross  a  ploughed  field,  leaping  lightly  oyer  the  furrows,  which  will  not  bear  the 
weight  of  the  dogs  and  horses.  Of  course,  its  idea  is  to  gain  time.  Another 
favorite  trick  is  to  double  back  for  a  couple  of  hundred  yards  on  its  track  and 
then  leap  aside  near  some  bushes.  After  awhile  the  dogs  come  up  and  are 
thrown  into  a  state  of  wild  confusion  by  finding  the  scented  track  checked. 
In  the  meantime,  the  hare  leaps  back  on  its  trail  and  flies  off  in  an  opposite 


THE    ALPINE    HARE. 


direction.      Hares  can  swim,  and  quite  a  long  distance,  too,  if  neqessary,  but 
they  hardly  ever  enter  the  water,  unless  it  is  to  try  a  bold  escape. 

They  do  not  burrow  like  the  rabbit,  but  live  entirely  upon  the  ground. 
They  make  what  are  called  "forms,"  just  a  few  twigs  and  leaves  pulled 
together,  which  are  so  marvellously  like  their  own  color  that  you  might  pass 
within  a  yard  of  a  hare  sitting  in  a  form  without  noticing  it.  That  explains 
the  mvsterious  way  in  which  the  hare  seems  to  rise  from  the  ground  at  your 
very  feet,  and  before  you  can  collect  your  wits  half  a  dozen  wild  bounds  carry 
it  out  of  sight.      In  winter,  when  the  ground  is  covered  with  snow,  the  hare  is 

o  o 

generally  found  in  some  dark  spot  near  the  roots  of  trees,  and  always  on  the 
sheltered  side. 

ALPINE   HARE. 


ALPINE   HARE    ('/„  Natural  Size). 

The  Alpine  Hark  is  famous  for  its  coat,  which  turns  white  in  the  winter. 
It  is  found  in  the  colder  parts  of  North  America.  Its  white  coat  serves  as  a 
great  protection,  for  it  cannot  be  distinguished  from  the  snow  upon  the  ground. 
In  size  it  is  a  little  larger  than  the  common  hare.  The  Alpine  hares  are  killed 
in  large  numbers  each  year  and  shipped  to  the  markets. 


Q 
fd 
O 
c! 
hd 

O 
> 

> 

ca 

I— I 


THE  RABBIT. 


The  Rabbit  is  one  of  the  best-known  animals  in  the  world.  It  is  easily 
tamed  and  has  therefore  become  a  great  pet.  There  is  hardly  any  boy  who  has 
not,  at  some  time  or  other,  kept  rabbits  in  a  cracker-box  hutch.  In  its  wild 
state  the  rabbit  is  a  bright,  clever  little  creature.  They  live  in  great  colo- 
nies, where  the  earth  is  honey-combed  with  hundreds  of  burrows,  called  "  war- 
rens," and  in  the  early  morning  or  just  at  sunset  it  is  a  great  sight  to  watch 
them  running  about.  They  hop  in  and  out  of  their  holes,  while  some  sit  up. 
listening  intently.  Then,  without  an  instant's  warning,  the  whole  party  will 
dash  off  and  pull  up  again  before 
they  have  gone  any  distance.  They 
fight  among  themselves  and  chase 
each  other  madly  through  the  twist- 
ings  and  turnings  of  the  burrows. 
Rabbits  have  very  sharp  ears  and 
for  a  short  distance  can  run  swiftly, 
and  upon  these  two  talents  they  are 
mainly  dependent  for  their  safety. 
They  have  countless  enemies,  for 
men,  dogs,  cats,  foxes,  stoats,  wea- 
sels, hedgehogs,  crows,  hawks,  rats, 
snakes,  and  owls  all  murder  the 
rabbit,  one  half  by  day,  the  other 
half  by  night;  so  there  is  not  much 
peace  for  the  poor  bunny.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  rabbit  multiplies  at 
a  great  rate  if  it  is  not  kept  down. 
For  instance,  the  rabbit  was  intro- 
duced into  Australia  and  allowed 
to  run  wild  in  the  bush.  As  the 
climate  of  Australia  is  very  mild  and  enemies  are  few  in  number,  it  soon 
overran  the  land,  and  it  has  already  cost  the  British  Government  millions  to 
exterminate  it. 

In  parts  of  California  the  rabbit  is  a  great  nuisance,  and  the  people  have 
adopted  a  curious  method  for  keeping  down  their  number.  Twice  a  year 
hundreds  of  men  from  Fresno  County  meet  together  for  a  rabbit-drive.  An 
enclosure,  about  one  hundred  yards  square,  is  made,  with  an  entrance  to  it 
ten  yards  wide.  From  this  entrance  the  fence-work  then  spreads  outwards  in 
a  huge  V.    At  a  certain  signal,  the  men  form  a  line  at  the  wide  end  of  the  V 


THE   RABBIT. 


and  proceed,  yelling  and  shouting,  to  drive  all  the  rabbits  down  to  the  corral  at 
the  bottom.  Numbers  of  rabbits  try  to  break  through  the  line  and  are  instantly 
killed.  At  last  the  frightened  creatures  are  driven  into  the  corral,  where  they 
are  easily  killed.  Some  idea  of  the  size  of  these  drives  may  be  gained  from  the 
fact  that  between  twenty  and  thirty  thousand  rabbits  are  killed  in  a  single  day. 

The  favorite  method  of  killing  rabbits  in  England  is  by  shooting  them 
In  winter  they  are  hunted  with  ferrets,  which  are  turned  into  the  warrens, 
while  terriers  watch  the  holes.  Poachers  catch  rabbits  by  attaching  loops  of 
brass  wire  to  the  mouth  of  the  burrow.  Once  a  rabbit  gets  its  head  into  a 
loose  wire  noose  it  does  not  know  enough  to  draw  back,  but  pushes  on,  strug- 
gling frantically,  until  it  chokes  itself. 

The  tame  rabbits  are  quite  distinct  from  the  wild  rabbits.  They  have 
been  so  carefully  bred  that  there  are  a  number  of  fine  species.  Their  ears, 
which  stick  up  so  straight  when  they  are  wild,  soon  begin  to  lop  or  hang 
down  when  they  have  been  confined  in  hutches,  free  from  the  danger  of  prowl- 
ing foxes  and  cats.  Rabbits  do  a  great  deal  of  damage  to  property.  They 
gnaw  the  bark  off  trees,  and  at  times  completely  girdle  them. 

They  steal  all  sorts  of  garden  stuff,  and  destroy  acres  and  acres  of  grain 
which  happen  to  be  near  their  warrens.  But,  after  all  is  said  and  done,  it 
would  seem  that  the  rabbit  is  more  sinned  against  than  sinning.  Writers  of 
all  countries  have  loved  to  endow  the  rabbit  with  great  shrewdness  and 
sagacity.  Uncle  Remus  in  this  country  gives  the  rabbit  a  great  reputation 
at  the  expense  of  that  shrewd  rascal,  the  fox. 

Mr.  Mounteney  Jephson,  who  crossed  the  Dark  Continent  with  Stanley  on 
his  last  expedition,  found  that  the  Uncle  Remus  rabbit-stories  were  known  by 
the  curious  little  race  of  pigmy  people  he  met,  who  had  never  been  visited  by 
white  men  before.  It  is  perfectly  true  that  the  rabbit  is  clever.  One  has  only 
to  watch  it  march  from  the  woods  some  frosty  morning.  Out  it  comes  with  a 
hop,  but  never  does  its  vigilance  forsake  it  for  an  instant.  You  will  notice 
that  it  will  always  keep  its  path  open  back  to  cover  along  the  thin,  hard  snow, 
so  there  is  no  danger  of  its  slipping  or  losing  its  way,  and  yet  it  keeps  far 
enough  away  to  prevent  a  lurking  fox  from  springing  upon  it. 

There  is  one  animal  the  rabbit  is  in  constant  terror  of,  and  that  is  the 
weasel.  Directly  a  rabbit  knows  that  a  weasel  is  upon  its  track,  it  gives  a  little 
scream  of  terror  and  dashes  off.  Now  if  the  rabbit  was  to  keep  on  running  it 
would  soon  leave  the  weasel  far  behind,  but  this  it  does  not  do.  It  runs  back 
and  forth  in  a  state  of  panic  and  dives  into  the  burrows,  from  which  the  other 
bunnies  drive  it  out.    The  weasel  doggedly  follows  everywhere,  until  the  rabbit 


THE    ALPINE    HARE. 


direction.      Hares  can  swim,  and  quite  a  long  distance,  too,  if  necessary,  but 
they  hardly  ever  enter  the  water,  unless  it  is  to  try  a  bold  escape. 

They  do  not  burrow  like  the  rabbit,  but  live  entirely  upon  the  ground. 
They  make  what  are  called  "forms,"  just  a  few  twigs  and  leaves  pulled 
together,  which  are  so  marvellously  like  their  own  color  that  you  might  pass 
within  a  yard  of  a  hare  sitting  in  a  form  without  noticing  it.  That  explains 
the  mysterious  way  in  which  the  hare  seems  to  rise  from  the  ground  at  your 
very  feet,  and  before  you  can  collect  your  wits  half  a  dozen  wild  bounds  carry 
it  out  of  sight.  In  winter,  when  the  ground  is  covered  with  snow,  the  hare  is 
generally  found  in  some  dark  spot  near  the  roots  of  trees,  and  always  on  the 
sheltered  side. 

ALPINE   HARE. 


Ifc: 


ALPINE   HARE    ('A  Natural  Size). 

The  Alpine  Hark  is  famous  for  its  coat,  which  turns  white  in  the  winter. 
It  is  found  in  the  colder  parts  of  North  America.  Its  white  coat  serves  as  a 
great  protection,  for  it  cannot  be  distinguished  from  the  snow  upon  the  ground. 
In  size  it  is  a  little  larger  than  the  common  hare.  The  Alpine  hares  are  killed 
in  large  numbers  each  year  and  shipped  to  the  markets. 


o 
& 
o 
a 

h3 

O 
*1 

> 

> 
W 
W 
i— i 


THE  RABBIT. 


The  Rabbit  is  one  of  the  best-known  animals  in  the  world.  It  is  easily 
tamed  and  has  therefore  become  a  great  pet.  There  is  hardly  any  boy  who  has 
not,  at  some  time  or  other,  kept  rabbits  in  a  cracker-box  hutch.  In  its  wild 
state  the  rabbit  is  a  bright,  clever  little  creature.  They  live  in  great  colo- 
nies, where  the  earth  is  honey-combed  with  hundreds  of  burrows,  called  "  war- 
rens," and  in  the  early  morning  or  just  at  sunset  it  is  a  great  sight  to  watch 
them  running  about.  They  hop  in  and  out  of  their  holes,  while  some  sit  up, 
listening  intently.  Then,  without  an  instant's  warning,  the  whole  party  will 
dash  off  and  pull  up  again  before 
they  have  gone  any  distance.  They 
fight  among  themselves  and  chase 
each  other  madly  through  the  twist- 
ing^ and  turnings  of  the  burrows. 
Rabbits  have  very  sharp  ears  and 
for  a  short  distance  can  run  swiftly, 
and  upon  these  two  talents  they  are 
mainly  dependent  for  their  safety. 
They  have  countless  enemies,  for 
men,  dogs,  cats,  foxes,  stoats,  wea- 
sels, hedgehogs,  crows,  hawks,  rats, 
snakes,  and  owls  all  murder  the 
rabbit,  one  half  by  day,  the  other 
half  by  night;  so  there  is  not  much 
peace  for  the  poor  bunny.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  rabbit  multiplies  at 
a  great  rate  if  it  is  not  kept  down. 
For  instance,  the  rabbit  was  intro- 
duced into  Australia  and  allowed 
to  run  wild  in  the  bush.  As  the 
climate  of  Australia  is  very  mild  and  enemies  are  few  in  number,  it  soon 
overran  the  land,  and  it  has  already  cost  the  British  Government  millions  to 
exterminate  it. 

In  parts  of  California  the  rabbit  is  a  great  nuisance,  and  the  people  have 
adopted  a  curious  method  for  keeping  down  their  number.  Twice  a  year 
hundreds  of  men  from  Fresno  County  meet  together  for  a  rabbit-drive.  An 
enclosure,  about  one  hundred  yards  square,  is  made,  with  an  entrance  to  it 
ten  yards  wide.  From  this  entrance  the  fence-work  then  spreads  outwards  in 
a  huge  V.    At  a  certain  signal,  the  men  form  a  line  at  the  wide  end  of  the  V 


THE   RABBIT. 


and  proceed,  yelling  and  shouting,  to  drive  all  the  rabbits  down  to  the  corral  at 
the  bottom.  Numbers  of  rabbits  try  to  break  through  the  line  and  are  instantly 
killed.  At  last  the  frightened  creatures  are  driven  into  the  corral,  where  they 
are  easily  killed.  Some  idea  of  the  size  of  these  drives  may  be  gained  from  the 
fact  that  between  twenty  and  thirty  thousand  rabbits  are  killed  in  a  single  day. 

The  favorite  method  of  killing  rabbits  in  England  is  by  shooting  them 
In  winter  they  are  hunted  with  ferrets,  which  are  turned  into  the  warrens, 
while  terriers  watch  the  holes.  Poachers  catch  rabbits  by  attaching  loops  of 
brass  wire  to  the  mouth  of  the  burrow.  Once  a  rabbit  gets  its  head  into  a 
loose  wire  noose  it  does  not  know  enough  to  draw  back,  but  pushes  on,  strug- 
gling frantically,  until  it  chokes  itself. 

The  tame  rabbits  are  quite  distinct  from  the  wild  rabbits.  They  have 
been  so  carefully  bred  that  there  are  a  number  of  fine  species.  Their  ears, 
which  stick  up  so  straight  when  they  are  wild,  soon  begin  to  lop  or  hang 
down  when  they  have  been  confined  in  hutches,  free  from  the  danger  of  prowl- 
ing foxes  and  cats.  Rabbits  do  a  great  deal  of  damage  to  property.  They 
gnaw  the  bark  off  trees,  and  at  times  completely  girdle  them. 

They  steal  all  sorts  of  garden  stuff,  and  destroy  acres  and  acres  of  grain 
which  happen  to  be  near  their  warrens.  But,  after  all  is  said  and  done,  it 
would  seem  that  the  rabbit  is  more  sinned  against  than  sinning.  Writers  of 
all  countries  have  loved  to  endow  the  rabbit  with  great  shrewdness  and 
sagacity.  Uncle  Remus  in  this  country  gives  the  rabbit  a  great  reputation 
at  the  expense  of  that  shrewd  rascal,  the  fox. 

Mr.  Mounteney  Jephson,  who  crossed  the  Dark  Continent  with  Stanley  on 
his  last  expedition,  found  that  the  Uncle  Remus  rabbit-stories  were  known  by 
the  curious  little  race  of  pigmy  people  he  met,  who  had  never  been  visited  by 
white  men  before.  It  is  perfectly  true  that  the  rabbit  is  clever.  One  has  only 
to  watch  it  march  from  the  woods  some  frosty  morning.  Out  it  comes  with  a 
hop,  but  never  does  its  vigilance  forsake  it  for  an  instant.  You  will  notice 
that  it  will  always  keep  its  path  open  back  to  cover  along  the  thin,  hard  snow, 
so  there  is  no  danger  of  its  slipping  or  losing  its  way,  and  yet  it  keeps  far 
enough  away  to  prevent  a  lurking  fox  from  springing  upon  it. 

There  is  one  animal  the  rabbit  is  in  constant  terror  of,  and  that  is  the 
weasel.  Directly  a  rabbit  knows  that  a  weasel  is  upon  its  track,  it  gives  a  little 
scream  of  terror  and  dashes  off.  Now  if  the  rabbit  was  to  keep  on  running  it 
would  soon  leave  the  weasel  far  behind,  but  this  it  does  not  do.  It  runs  back 
and  forth  in  a  state  of  panic  and  dives  into  the  burrows,  from  which  the  other 
bunnies  drive  it  out.    The  weasel  doggedly  follows  everywhere,  until  the  rabbit 


THE  RABBIT. 


The  Rabbit  is  one  of  the  best-known  animals  in  the  world.  It  is  easily 
tamed  and  has  therefore  become  a  great  pet.  There  is  hardly  any  boy  who  has 
not,  at  some  time  or  other,  kept  rabbits  in  a  cracker-box  hutch.  In  its  wild 
state  the  rabbit  is  a  bright,  clever  little  creature.  They  live  in  great  colo- 
nies, where  the  earth  is  honey-combed  with  hundreds  of  burrows,  called  "  war- 
rens," and  in  the  early  morning  or  just  at  sunset  it  is  a  great  sight  to  watch 
them  running  about.  They  hop  in  and  out  of  their  holes,  while  some  sit  up, 
listening  intently.  Then,  without  an  instant's  warning,  the  whole  party  will 
dash  off  and  pull   up  again   before      ,;  ^,r .  ~>  — ---  ;_■■-.. 

they  have  gone  any  distance.  They 
fight  amonor  themselves  and  chase 
each  other  madly  through  the  twist- 
ings  and  turnings  of  the  burrows. 
Rabbits  have  very  sharp  ears  and 
for  a  short  distance  can  run  swiftly, 
and  upon  these  two  talents  they  are 
mainly  dependent  for  their  safety. 
They  have  countless  enemies,  for 
men,  dogs,  cats,  foxes,  stoats,  wea- 
sels, hedgehogs,  crows,  hawks,  rats, 
snakes,  and  owls  all  murder  the 
rabbit,  one  half  by  day,  the  other 
half  by  night;  so  there  is  not  much 
peace  for  the  poor  bunny.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  rabbit  multiplies  at 
a  great  rate  if  it  is  not  kept  down. 
For  instance,  the  rabbit  was  intro- 
duced into  Australia  and  allowed 
to  run  wild  in  the  bush.  As  the 
climate  of  Australia  is  very  mild  and  enemies  are  few  in  number,  it  soon 
overran  the  land,  and  it  has  already  cost  the  British  Government  millions  to 
exterminate  it. 

In  parts  of  California  the  rabbit  is  a  great  nuisance,  and  the  people  have 
adopted  a  curious  method  for  keeping  down  their  number.  Twice  a  year 
hundreds  of  men  from  Fresno  County  meet  together  for  a  rabbit-drive.  An 
enclosure,  about  one  hundred  yards  square,  is  made,  writh  an  entrance  to  it 
ten  yards  wide.  From  this  entrance  the  fence-work  then  spreads  outwards  in 
a  huge  V.    At  a  certain  signal,  the  men  form  a  line  at  the  wide  end  of  the  V 


THE   RABBIT. 


and  proceed,  yelling  and  shouting,  to  drive  all  the  rabbits  down  to  the  corral  at 
the  bottom.  Numbers  of  rabbits  try  to  break  through  the  line  and  are  instantly 
killed.  At  last  the  frightened  creatures  are  driven  into  the  corral,  where  they 
are  easily  killed.  Some  idea  of  the  size  of  these  drives  may  be  gained  from  the 
fact  that  between  twenty  and  thirty  thousand  rabbits  are  killed  in  a  single  day. 

The  favorite  method  of  killing  rabbits  in  England  is  by  shooting  them 
In  winter  they  are  hunted  with  ferrets,  which  are  turned  into  the  warrens, 
while  terriers  watch  the  holes.  Poachers  catch  rabbits  by  attaching  loops  of 
brass  wire  to  the  mouth  of  the  burrow.  Once  a  rabbit  gets  its  head  into  a 
loose  wire  noose  it  does  not  know  enough  to  draw  back,  but  pushes  on,  strug- 
gling frantically,  until  it  chokes  itself. 

The  tame  rabbits  are  quite  distinct  from  the  wild  rabbits.  They  have 
been  so  carefully  bred  that  there  are  a  number  of  fine  species.  Their  ears, 
which  stick  up  so  straight  when  they  are  wild,  soon  begin  to  lop  or  hang 
down  when  they  have  been  confined  in  hutches,  free  from  the  danger  of  prowl- 
ing foxes  and  cats.  Rabbits  do  a  great  deal  of  damage  to  property.  They 
gnaw  the  bark  off  trees,  and  at  times  completely  girdle  them. 

They  steal  all  sorts  of  garden  stuff,  and  destroy  acres  and  acres  of  grain 
which  happen  to  be  near  their  warrens.  But,  after  all  is  said  and  done,  it 
would  seem  that  the  rabbit  is  more  sinned  against  than  sinning.  Writers  of 
all  countries  have  loved  to  endow  the  rabbit  with  great  shrewdness  and 
sagacity.  Uncle  Remus  in  this  country  gives  the  rabbit  a  great  reputation 
at  the  expense  of  that  shrewd  rascal,  the  fox. 

Mr.  Mounteneyjephson,  who  crossed  the  Dark  Continent  with  Stanley  on 
his  last  expedition,  found  that  the  Uncle  Remus  rabbit-stories  were  known  by 
the  curious  little  race  of  pigmy  people  he  met,  who  had  never  been  visited  by 
white  men  before.  It  is  perfectly  true  that  the  rabbit  is  clever.  One  has  only 
to  watch  it  march  from  the  woods  some  frosty  morning.  Out  it  comes  with  a 
hop,  but  never  does  its  vigilance  forsake  it  for  an  instant.  You  will  notice 
that  it  will  always  keep  its  path  open  back  to  cover  along  the  thin,  hard  snow, 
so  there  is  no  danger  of  its  slipping  or  losing  its  way,  and  yet  it  keeps  far 
enough  away  to  prevent  a  lurking  fox  from  springing  upon  it. 

There  is  one  animal  the  rabbit  is  in  constant  terror  of,  and  that  is  the 
weasel.  Directly  a  rabbit  knows  that  a  weasel  is  upon  its  track,  it  gives  a  little 
scream  of  terror  and  dashes  off.  Now  if  the  rabbit  was  to  keep  on  running  it 
would  soon  leave  the  weasel  far  behind,  but  this  it  does  not  do.  It  runs  back 
and  forth  in  a  state  of  panic  and  dives  into  the  burrows,  from  which  the  other 
bunnies  drive  it  out.    The  weasel  doggedly  follows  everywhere,  until  the  rabbit 


THE   GUINEA  PIG. 


becomes  paralyzed  with  fear  and  allows  its  enemy  to  catch  up.  It  is  a 
curious  fact  that  when  a  weasel  has  singled  out  a  rabbit  to  chase,  it  will  not 
touch  the  others,  although  it  brushes  quite  close  to  them  in  the  passages 
of  the  burrows. 

Many  people  have  wondered  of  what  use  to  the  rabbit  is  the  little  white 
fur  which  has  given  rise  to  the  name  "cotton-tail."  The  most  likely  reason  for 
its  existence  is  that  at  the  sign  of  danger  the  parents  dash  off,  and  the  white 
is  a  guide  for  the  little  ones.  Everyone  who  has  shot  rabbits  knows  that  it 
serves  as  a  mark  to  aim  at. 

THE   GUINEA-PIG. 


Why  the  Guinea-pig  should  have  been  so  called  is  a  puzzle,  for  it  is  not 
a  pig  at  all,  nor  does  it  come  from  Guinea,  but  from  South  America.     It  is 
very    brightly    and    irregularly    col- 
ored, and  very  often  has  large  dabs 
of  orange,  black,  and  white  upon  it. 

The  guinea-pig  breeds  freely, 
but  the  young  are  very  delicate  for 
the  first  few  days  after  they  are  born. 
This  little  animal  is  clean  and  doc- 
ile, but  stupid,  and  its  intelligence 
is  far  below  that  of  the  rabbit.  On 
the  whole,  the  guinea-pig  may  be 
said  to  be  practically  of  no  use  to 
man,  as  its  flesh  is  too  coarse  for 
food,  and  its  skin,  owing  to  the 
slight  manner  in  which  the  hair 
is  attached,  is  of  no  value  to  the 
furrier. 

The  guinea-pig  has  always  been 
a  popular  pet  with  children.  It  re- 
quires but  little  attention  and  will 
eat  any  kind  of  vegetable  food. 

The  guinea  -  pig  sometimes 
shows  a  spark  of  courage,  if  a  cat  or  dog  should  come  too  near  its  young 
ones,  but  as  its  teeth  are  not  sharp,  it  is  practically  unable  to  defend  itself 
from  enemies  of  any  size. 


mm 


GUINEA-PIG    (H  Natural  Size). 


THE   GERBOA. 


THE   CHINCHILLA. 

The  Chinchilla  lives  in  the 
high  mountain  ranges  of  South 
America.  Its  fur  is  of  a  very  fine 
quality,  and  has  a  beautiful  shade 
of  gray  over  it.  They  live  in  large 
colonies,  which,  however,  are  not 
stationary,  like  the  rabbit's,  for 
sometimes  a  whole  band  will  for- 
sake a  certain  locality  where  they 
have  lived  for  years. 


THE   GERBOA. 

The  Gerboa  is  a  little  animal 
about  the  size  of  a  rat.  It  lives  in 
Northern  Africa  and  is  chiefly  fa- 
mous   for   its    long  legs    and    tail. 


JtRj?-* 


CHINCHILLA    (•{  Natural  Size) 


GLKUUH    (,>j  Natural  Size). 


The  gerboa  is  capable  of  making  im- 
mense  springs  utterly  out  of  propor- 
tion to  its  size  and  strength  ;    in  fact, 
it  is  so  agile  that  it  can  out-distance 
a  greyhound  when   once    it    is    fairly 
started.      It    is    a   burrowing    animal, 
and    usually    prefers    a    sandy   bank 
j\   facing  the  sun.     Gerboas  live  in  col- 
li!  onies,  and   are  very  sociable,  playing 
jt   together,  and    toward    sundown   may 
i|||^j|g     be     seen    jumping    about    in    a    start- 
ling yet  graceful   manner.     Although 
^WR;   the    gerboa   comes    out    in    the    day- 
time, it  does  not  feed  until  nightfall. 
Its    food    consists    strictly    of    herbs 
and  grain.     Its  teeth  are  very  sharp, 
and    will    even    cut    through    a    thin 
layer  of  stone. 


THE   DORMOUSE. 


The  Dormouse  is  fairly  common  all  through  England  and  the  Continent. 
It  is  one  of  the  prettiest  of  the  rodents,  for  its  fur  is  brown  on  the  back,  while 
underneath  it  is  a  yellowish  white.  Its  head  is  large  and  its  eyes  are  bright 
and  beady.  The  dormouse  sleeps  all  day  long,  so  soundly  that  you  could 
pick  one  up  without  disturbing  it.  Don't  you  remember  the  dormouse  in 
"  Alice  in  Wonderland,"  which  kept  falling  asleep  ?  At  night  the  dormice 
come  out  to  hunt  for  food.  Go  to  any  quiet,  wooded  country  lane,  keep  very 
still,  and  you  will  get  a  good  chance  to  watch  them.  By  and  by  you  will 
hear  their  funny  little  squeak  and  then 
a  rustling  among  the  leaves,  and  if  you 
do  not  move  they  will  almost  run  over 
your  very  feet. 

The  nest  of  this  little  animal  is  a 
compact  and  beautiful  affair.  It  is  like 
a  ball  of  platted  grass,  with  just  one  lit- 
tle hole  at  the  top,  and  is  usually  built 
several  feet  from  the  ground  amon^ 
the  corn  -  stalks.  When  you  come 
across  one  dormouse's  nest,  you  will 
be  sure  to  find  others  near-by,  for  they 
like  to  live  together.  It  is  a  lively  lit- 
tle creature,  leaping  lightly  from  twig 
to  twig  as  it  goes  in  search  of  acorns, 
nuts,  and  haws. 

The  dormouse  hibernates  through- 
out the  winterjust  like  the  bear,  sleep- 
ing in  its  nest.  It  collects  a  lot  of  food 
toward  autumn  and  grows  exceed- 
ingly fat,  which  enables  it  to  stand  dormice  (Natural  size). 
the  months  of  fasting.  When  a  mild  spell  of  weather  comes  in  the  middle  of 
winter,  the  dormouse  wakes  up,  nibbles  some  food,  and  then  goes  to  sleep 
again.  It  does  not  use  much  of  its  larder  until  spring.  The  dormouse  is 
awake  long  before  the  nuts  and  berries  are  ripe,  so,  you  see,  the  little  animal 
wisely  keeps  a  store  on  hand,  or  else  it  would  soon  starve  to  death.  It  can 
carry  food  in  its  mouth,  is  able  to  sit  upright,  and  can  also  hang  by  its  feet, 
and  may  often  be  seen  comfortably  munching  nuts  in  this  position. 

The  dormouse  makes  an  excellent  pet.  It  is  a  good-tempered,  affection- 
ate and  cleanly  little  animal,  and  if  treated  kindly  becomes  very  tame.  It  will 
eat  almost  any  food  except  meat. 


THE   SQUIRRELS. 


The  Red  Squirrel  is  a  splendid  little  creature,  typifying  wild,  careless 
gayety  and  absurd  shrewdness  and  gravity.  It  is  common  all  over  Southern 
Europe  and  especially  so  in  England.  It  lives  in  small  numbers  in  the  beech 
and  fir  woods,  or  near  the  great  oaks.  Its  size  is  about  that  of  an  overgrown 
kitten.  Its  eyes  are  bright  and  black,  while  its  ears,  which  are  large  and 
upright,  have  a  tuft  of  hair  on  the  ends. 
Its  tail  is  large  and  bushy  and  is  usu- 
ally carried  curled  over  its  back.  Like 
the  dormouse,  it  sits  upright  when  eating 
or  playing  sentinel. 

The  squirrel  builds  a  nest  which  at 
a  distance  looks  like  a  crow's.  In  fact, 
it  sometimes  uses  an  old  crow's  nest 
instead  of  building  one  of  its  own.  The 
nest  is  carefully  lined  with  moss  and 
leaves,  and  here  the  young  squirrels  are 
born  and  brought  up.  They  are  the 
prettiest  little  creatures,  very  gentle,  and 
make  excellent  pets,  but  are  hard  to  raise 
in  cages.  In  the  early  morning,  the  squir- 
rel comes  down  from  the  trees  to  feed 
on  the  wind-blown  chestnuts  and  acorns. 
Then,  as  the  sun  gets  higher,  it  goes 
back  to  the  trees.  The  squirrel  rarely 
comes  to  the  ground  except  to  feed.  If 
alarmed,  it  races  along  the  ground  with 
a  jumping  v  " 
the    trees 

springs  from  branch  to  branch  with  as- 
tounding   leaps.     If,   by    any    chance,   it 
misses  its  footing,  it  spreads  out  its  bushy  tail  and  comes   sailing   down   as 
light  as  a  feather. 

The  squirrel  has  many  enemies.  The  game-keeper  shoots  it  for  gnaw- 
ing the  bark  from  the  young  trees.  Then  the  weasel  and  stoat  are  ever  on 
the  watch  to  pounce  upon  it  while  feeding,  and  up  in  the  branches  there 
is  always  a  danger  of  being  swooped  down  upon  by  the  sparrow-hawk.  Last 
of  all  is  the  persistent  small  boy.  Throughout  all  parts  of  rural  England  it 
is  considered  great  sport  to  hunt  the  squirrel.     The  usual  method  is  to  wait 


&allop,  but  when   it  reaches 
nothing    can    follow    it.       It 


THE   SQUIRRELS. 


Until  a  squirrel  comes  down  to  feed,  and  then  slyly  get  between  it  and  the 
woods  and  bo  contrive  to  drive  it  to  an  isolated  tree.  Then  one  of  the  boys 
climbs  up  into  the  tree  while  the  others  form  a  circle  around  the  trunk.  The 
squirrel  mounts  higher  and  higher  into  the  thin  branches,  chattering  with  rage 
all  the  while.     At  last  it  is  shaken  from  its  perch  and  leaps  wildly  into  the  air. 

Immediately,  caps,  sticks,  and  stones  ....„._ _._ ..._. , 

are  thrown  at  it,  and  often  after  the 
confusion  is  over  Master  Squirrel  is 
seen  scampering  back  to  the  high 
trees.  The  squirrel's  chance  of  get- 
ting away  is  good  ;  but  sometimes 
the  boys  are  accompanied  by  a  half- 
dozen  curs,  and  then  the  little  creat- 
ure has  a  hard  time  to  keep  from 
being  worried  by  them. 


■ 


THE  GRAY  SQUIRREL. 

The  Gray  Squirrel  is  found 
in  the  warmer  parts  of  the  United 
States.  Eor  instance,  it  is  very 
common  throughout  California.  It 
is  a  bright,  playful  little  creature, 
and  very  active.  The  gray  squir- 
rels live  in  small  colonies,  choosing 
by  preference  rocky  ground.  They 
dig  the  earth  away  from  between 
the  rocks,  so  as  to  make  sheltered 
burrows,  and  then  well-cleared  paths  are  made  leading  to  the  burrow-holes. 

These  squirrels,  although  they  will  take  up  their  abode  within  a  stone's 
throw  of  a  house,  are  very  cautious  and  hard  to  approach.  They  always  post 
one  of  their  number  on  high  ground  to  act  as  sentinel,  and  the  moment  it 
sees  anything  it  does  not  understand  it  gives  a  shrill  bark  and  all  the  squirrels 
rush  off  to  their  burrows,  chattering  shrilly.  This  happened  times  out  of  num- 
ber at  a  certain  ranch-house  where  a  number  of  squirrels  had  made  a  burrow 
in  the  rocks  at  the  rear.  Several  times  a  day  the  dogs  woidd  rush  up  and  try 
to  take  the  squirrels  by  surprise,  but  every  time  the  latter  proved  too  nimble. 
In  fact,  the  dogs  were  never  known  to  catch  a  single  squirrel. 


RED    SQUIRREL    (%  Natural  Size). 


THE   CHIPMUNK. 

The  bright  little  Chipmunk  is 
another  burrowing  rodent.  It  is  very 
common  near  the  woods,  where  it  can 
be  seen  scampering  along  through 
the  undergrowth,  making  the  curious, 
chirping  noise  from  which  it  gets  its 
name.  It  is  almost  defenceless,  while 
its  coat  is  so  bright  and  pretty,  just 
the  sort  to  attract  prowling  enemies. 
All  the  summer  long  it  is  busy  stor- 
ing up  food  in  the  shape  of  nuts  and 
haws  for  the  winter.  The  chipmunk 
nearly  always  carries  four  nuts  in  its 
mouth  at  a  time,  which,  considering 
the  size  of  the  animal,  is  a  huge  load. 
When  out  looking  for  food  it  must 
leave  its  shelter,  and  is  thus  laid  open 
to  attacks  from  the  polecat  and  hawk. 
Nevertheless,  there  is  hardly  any  little  animal  which,  to  human  eyes,,  seems  so 
completely  happy.  It  is  never  seen  except  it  is  whisking  its  tail  about  in  the 
liveliest  manner. 


THE   PRAIRIE-DOG. 

Now  we  come  to  a  distinctly  American  animal,  the  Prairie-dog.  These 
strange  creatures  live  together  in  vast  colonies,  or  dog-towns,  which  are  gen- 
erally situated  where  the  soil  is  soft  and  sandy.  Its  name,  prairie-dog,  comes 
from  two  sources :  first,  because  it  lives  on  the  prairies,  and  second,  because, 
when  alarmed,  it  gives  a  tiny  bark  like  a  dog.  The  dog-towns  are  often  very 
large  and  present  an  odd  appearance.  Outside  the  burrow  is  a  mound  which 
has  been  thrown  up  in  digging.  While  the  prairie-dog  is  busy  burrowing  its 
tunnel  and  throwing  the  earth  out,  another  prairie-dog  will  rush  up,  fill  its  paws 
writh  earth,  and  ram  it  into  the  hole  upon  the  digger  and  then  scamper  off. 
After  awhile,  the  other  prairie-dog  comes  scratching  out  of  its  burrow  snorting 
with  anger,  goes  in  search  of  its  enemy,  and  then  there  is  a  fight.  Wherever 
there  are  prairie-dogs,  there  are  always  rattlesnakes  and  owls.  It  was  thought 
at  one  time  that  the  animal,  snake,  and  bird  lived  peaceably  together,  but  that 
is  not  true.     The  owl  and  rattlesnake  live  with  the  prairie-dog  simply  because 


THE   MARMOT. 


THE   PRAIRIE-DOG    (X  Natural  Size). 

the  latter  is  not  strong  enough  to  put  them  out.  They  use  its  burrow,  kill  its 
young,  and  often  slay  the  owner.  The  prairie-dogs  are  very  cautious.  They 
always  have  a  sentinel  on  watch,  and  when  it  sees  anything  it  does  not  under- 
stand it  gives  its  bark,  and  the  dogs  disappear  into  the  burrows.  It  would 
seem  as  if  the  place  was  utterly  deserted.  After  awhile  the  dogs  poke  their 
noses  out  of  their  holes,  and  if  they  think  the  enemy  has  gone,  they  soon  come 
out  of  hiding  once  more. 

THE   MARMOT. 

The  Marmot  is  a  sort  of  European  cousin  to  the  prairie-dog.  It  is  found 
all  over  the  northern  part  of  Finland,  Norway,  and  Russia.  It  is  another  of 
the  animals  which  goes  to  sleep  in  the  winter  and  wakes  up  in  the  summer. 
It  is  dull  and  stupid  in  spite  of  its  timidity,  but  has  a  keen  sense  of  hearing. 
It  lives  in  a  burrow  which  it  digs  out  itself.  Its  tunnel  is  about  eight  feet  long, 
and  branches  off  into  two  parts.  The  one  forms  a  storehouse  and  the  other 
the  living  part.  This  storehouse  is  filled  with  grain  and  nuts,  which  it  has 
been  busv  collecting  all  the  summer.  As  soon  as  the  marmot  is  ready  to  take 
its  long  winter  sleep  it  stuffs  up  the  burrow  with  sticks  and  earth,  so  that  the 
cold  may  not  creep  in. 


A  FAMILY  OF   MARMOTS. 


THE  KING  OF  THE  PRAIRIE. 


THE   BUFFALO. 


The  Buffalo,  or  Bison,  has  been  called  the  "  King  of  the  Prairies,"  but, 
alas !  it  is  king  no  longer.  The  march  of  man  across  the  plains  has  driven  the 
buffalo  out  of  existence.  It  is  a  dull  and  stupid  animal,  which  accounts  for 
allowing  itself  to  be  so  easily  tracked ;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  it  has  immense 
strength  and  great  speed.  The  Indian  found  that  the  buffalo  supplied  him 
with  almost  everything  he  needed :  hide,  wool,  fat,  and  meat.  Armed  only 
with  a  bow  and  arrow,  he  killed  but  few  of  the  vast  herds  which  roamed  the 
plains  north  of  the  Platte  River.  Then  came  the  white  man  with  the  rifle,  and 
the  result  is  that  the  buffalo  has  vanished.  Not  a  single  wild  specimen  lives 
to-day.  In  a  few  shows,  notably  Buffalo  Bill's,  in  private  collections  both  in 
this  country  and  in  England,  and  in  the  Yellowstone  Park,  the  buffalo  still 
lives,  guarded  jealously  from  harm.  Thirty  years  ago  it  was  a  common  sight 
to  see  countless  thousands  of  these  mighty  creatures  together.  The  huge  col- 
lection of  skulls  and  bones  testify  to  what  their  numbers  must  have  been. 
Many  methods  were  used  to  kill  the  buffalo  wholesale,  and  one  was  to  take 
advantage  of  the  large  ravines  through  which  the  western  rivers  run.  The 
herds  were  surrounded  on  three  sides,  leaving  the  only  avenue  of  escape  over 
the  precipice.  At  a  given  signal,  all  the  men  would  rush  in,  yelling  and 
waving  hats.  The  herd  would  promptly  rush  off.  As  soon  as  the  leaders 
reached  the  edge  of  the  precipice,  they  would  try  to  back  away,  but  the  num- 
bers behind  would  force  them  on,  and  thus  it  was  an  easy  matter  to  wipe  out 
a  whole  herd. 

The  white  man  usually  hunted  the  buffalo  from  horseback.  This  method 
is  much  more  successful.  It  takes  pluck  to  enter  a  herd  and  separate  a  mem- 
ber and  shoot  it  down  while  going  at  full  speed.  In  spite  of  its  timid  nature, 
the  buffalo  is  a  terrible  foe  when  brought  to  bay. 


M  JmmQ  <%w&M&W 


THE  AUROCHS. 


OXEN. 

THE  AUROCHS. 

The  Aurochs  is  the  buffalo  of  Europe,  but  like  its  relative  it  is  scarce.  It 
is  claimed  that  outside  of  a  few  which  are  still  wild,  the  only  herd  left  is  in 
Russia,  where  the  Czar  keeps  them  under  his  special  protection.  Owing  to 
there  being  hardly  any  females  born  in  captivity,  the  herd  is  slowly  vanishing. 

OXEN. 

There  are  several  curious  things  about  the  animals  which  come  under  the 
head  of  Oxen.  They  have  divided  hoofs  instead  of  claws ;  they  also  have 
horns  which  grow  out  of  their  foreheads,  and,  last  of  ail,  they  are  able  to  bring 
back  food  from  the  stomach  to  the  mouth,  which  is  called  "  chewing  the  cud." 

In  many  parts  of  the  world,  such  as  Palestine,  America,  and  Europe,  oxen 
are  used  to  plough  the  land  and  draw  the  carts.  In  Spain,  oxen  are  usually 
harnessed  in  pairs  to  unwieldy  wine  carts  having  solid  wheels.  The  owners 
decorate  their  beasts  with  bells  and  ribbons,  and  they  move  along  the  country 
road  at  a  solemn  pace,  the  wheels  creaking  loudly. 

The  domestic  cattle  have  been  bred  to  a  wonderful  state  of  perfection. 
The  bulls  are  large  and  solidly  built,  possessing  all  the  strength  and  courage 
of  their  wild  relatives.  The  chief  use  of  the  cow  is  its  supplying  men  with 
milk.  As  a  rule,  a  farmer  keeps  a  number  of  cows,  so  that  he  may  supply  the 
nearest  city  or  village  with  milk.  Every  morning  and  evening  the  cows  are 
milked  and  then  turned  out  again  to  graze  in  the  fields. 

In  Spain  there  lives  a  small,  long-horned,  fierce  bull,  which  is  bred  for  the 
sole  use  of  bull-fighting.  When  the  people  are  all  assembled  in  the  arena,  the 
gayly  dressed  bull  fighters  and  a  number  of  men  called  "  capeadors  "  take  their 
stand  around  the  ring,  and  at  a  given  signal  the  door  is  unlocked  and  the  bull 
rushes  into  the  ring.  The  animal  is  bewildered  at  first,  but  the  instant  it  gets 
used  to  the  glare  of  the  sunlight,  it  charges  the  nearest  capeador.  He  waves  a 
red  cloak  in  front  of  the  brute  and  steps  nimbly  aside.  In  a  few  moments,  by 
throwing  darts  and  lances,  with  fireworks  attached,  into  the  bull's  shoulders, 
they  have  it  lashed  into  a  pitch  of  fury.  Then  the  fighters,  or  picadors,  come 
in  mounted  on  poor,  miserable  horses,  which  are  blind  in  one  eye,  so  they 
cannot  see  the  bull  when  it  charges.  Often  as  many  as  fifteen  horses  are 
killed  by  one  bull,  while  the  men  are  seldom  hurt.  When  the  bull  becomes 
weak  from  loss  of  blood,  the  matador,  armed  only  with  a  sword,  pierces  it 
between  the  shoulders  and  kills  it.  A  team  of  mules  drag  the  body  of  the 
bull  out  of  the  ring  and  the  fight  begins  over  again  with  a  fresh  animal. 


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THE   BUFFALO. 


The  Buffalo  of  Asia,  Africa,  and  India  is  a  magnificent  animal.  The 
horns  of  the  Indian  variety  frequently  measure  as  much  as  twelve  feet  from 
tip  to  tip.  The  strength  of  the  animal  is  enormous,  and  its  thick-set  limbs 
are  capable  of  great  endurance.  Its  speed  for  its  size  and  build  is  almost 
incredible.  The  buffaloes  love  water,  and  can  always  be  found  near  swampy 
ground,  where  they  roll  themselves  in  the  mud  until  their  skin  is  thoroughly 
caked.  This  serves  to  keep  off  flies  and  mosquitoes.  The  temper  of  the  buf- 
falo is  uncertain,  as  may  be  gathered  from  looking  into  its  face,  which  always 
shows  the  same  scowling  ferocity.  The  hunting  of  this  animal  is  very  diffi- 
cult, as  its  skin,  which  looks  at  a  distance  like  rubber,  is  so  tough  that  it  will 
almost  turn  a  bullet  away.  To  kill  a  buffalo  with  a  single  shot  is  nearly 
impossible.  Should  the  brute  be  only  wounded,  it  will  charge  at  once.  When 
fairly  roused  its  fury  is  frightful  to  behold.  It  tears  up  the  ground  with  its 
horns  and  wreaks  its  vengeance  upon  the  nearest  thing  at  hand.  Whether 
the  buffalo  is  dealing  with  man  or  beast,  it  never  leaves  its  victim  until  it  has 
trampled  every  trace  of  life  out  of  it.  The  great  hunter,  Sir  Samuel  Baker, 
mentions  having  seen  a  buffalo  beat  off  a  pair  of  lions  which  had  attacked  it. 
On  another  occasion  he  saw  a  buffalo  pulled  down  by  four  lions,  but  only  after 
a  battle  which  lasted  a  couple  of  hours. 

In  the  spring  the  old  bulls  have  great  battles  among  themselves  for  the 
possession  of  the  females.    They  become  so  absorbed  in  the  fight  that  one  can 


THE    BaNTENGE. 

come  easily  near  them;  but  should  they  happen  to  catch  sight  of  the  intruder, 
they  are  liable  to  both  drop  their  quarrel  and  charge  together.  Unless  a  tree 
is  handy,  and  a  thick  one  at  that,  the  result  is  unpleasant.  When  a  bull  has 
defeated  its  rival  and  driven  it  off  the  field  of  glory,  the  old  rascal  sets  out  to 
look  for  another  one  to  fight.  On  one  occasion  a  victorious  buffalo  was  seen 
to  drive  its  long  horns  into  the  flanks  of  its  foe  and  kill  it. 

THE   BANTENGE. 


The  Bantenge  is  a  native  of  Java.  It  takes  the  place  of  the  buffalo  in 
that  country.  It  is  exceedingly  shy,  living  in  the  thick  jungles  near  the  water. 
The  small  bands  place  a  sentinel  to  keep  watch  for  any  enemy.  The  natives 
of  Java  have  managed  to  catch  the  bantenge  and  tame  it  until  it  has  become 
quite  a  useful  animal.  The  work  of  ploughing  the  heavy,  sodden  rice-fields 
could  hardly  be  done  by  any  other  creature. 


THE   ZEBU 


The  Zebu  is  one  of  the  famous  sacred  animals  of  India.  It  is  also  found 
in  parts  of  Southern  Asia  and  even  in  Madagascar,  though  its  true  home  is  in 
India.  It  is  rather  a  pretty  and  intelligent  animal,  about  the  size  of  a  Jersey 
cow.  It  has  a  hump  on  its  shoulders  and  short  horns.  English  people  who 
live  in  India  look  upon  the  zebu  as  a  great  nuisance,  but  owing  to  its  being 
sacred  they  dare  not  interfere  with  it.  The  zebu  is  allowed  to  run  wild 
wherever  it  pleases.  It  is  quite  a  common  sight  to  see  one  of  these  animals 
going  through  the  village  streets  with  a  comical  air  of  dignity.  It  will  pause 
to  examine  anything  that  will  catch  its  eye  or  help  itself  to  fruit  from  a  Hindoo 
vendor's  stand,  and  no  one  will  raise  a  protest.  If  it  wants  anything  it  demands 
it  with  a  grunt,  and  if  not  attended  to  quickly  it  is  apt  to  use  its  horns.  Some- 
times the  zebu  falls  asleep  in  a  narrow  roadway  so  as  to  completely  block  it 
up,  and  nothing  can  pass  along  until  the  beast  awakes.  Therefore  the  English 
people  dislike  the  animal,  but  the  Hindoos  still  hold  it  in  awe. 

The  zebu  is  not  blessed  with  a  good  temper.  If  it  sees  any  man  or  woman 
doing  anything  that  it  does  not  like,  or  wearing  clothes  of  a  red  color,  it  will 
charge  them  without  warning,  and  all  the  natives  can  do  is  to  fly  until  they 
reach  a  tree  or  wall  upon  which  they  can  climb.  The  Hindoos  which  crowd 
the  streets  will  not  attempt  to  turn  the  zebu  from  its  victims,  but  simply  draw 
away  to  one  side  and  let  it  pass  on. 


WOLVES  PURSUING  A  YAK  AND  HER  CALF. 


THE   YAK. 


The  Yak,  or  grunting  ox,  gets  its  name  from  the  peculiar  noise  it  makes. 
This  magnificent  creature  lives  in  the  Pamirs,  or  high  country  between  the 
Himalayas,  Russia,  and  China.  These  vast  plains  reach  for  many  miles,  and 
are  more  elevated  than  the  European  snow-line.  That  is  why  the  Pamirs  are 
called  the  roof  of  the  world.  Over  the  immense  tracks  of  Thibet  the  yak  wan- 
ders, either  in  small  companies  or  just  by  itself.  It  feeds  upon  the  grasses 
which  are  found  in  summer,  and  in  winter  digs  them  up  out  of  the  snow.  Its 
nose  is  strongly  built,  so  that  it  can  push  away  the  snow  which  covers  its  food. 
Its  sense  of  smell  is  also  very  keen,  and  enables  it  not  only  to  detect  its  food 
when  covered,  but  also  to  scent  enemies  at  a  great  distance. 

In  the  early  spring  the  female  gives  birth  to  a  single  calf,  which,  when 
young,  is  said  to  resemble  a  Newfoundland  dog.  At  this  early  age  the  calf  is 
in  great  danger  from  the  hungry  packs  of  wolves,  which  would  not  hesitate  to 
attack  the  old  bull  yaks  themselves.  The  people  of  Thibet  have  managed  to 
tame  this  great  creature  and  turn  it  into  a  beast  of  burden.  For  the  country  it 
lives  in  it  is  very  useful,  but  it  is  doubtful  if  the  white  man  would  put  up  with 
its  whims  and  temper.  Its  skin  is  beautiful,  the  fur  growing  to  a  great  length 
on  the  sides,  while  its  bushy  white  tail  is  largely  sought  after  for  cap  decora- 


THE   MUSK-OX. 


tions  and  fans  for  the  Chinese.  There  is  a  species  called  the  "plough"  yak, 
which  is  not  as  line  an  animal  as  the  true  yak.  It  is  a  poor,  ill-used  beast,  and 
is  generally  without  a  tail,  which  its  cruel  master  has  cut  off  and  sold. 


THE   MUSK-OX. 


■ 


The  Musk-ox  is  a  peculiar  animal  which  lives  in  the  tip-top  of  North 
America.  It  is  not  nearly  as  large  as  one  might  suppose  from  the  picture,  for 
it  is  covered  all  over  with  a  shaggy  coat  of  hair.  It  is  rather  a  dangerous  ani- 
mal to  hunt,  for  it  often  leads  its  pursuers  over  rocky  ground,  and  then  turns 
upon  them  when  it  has  them  at  a  disadvantage.  It  is  very  agile  and  has  excel- 
lent smell  and  hearing,  but  in  spite  of  this  it  is  a  dull  animal.  Hunters  say 
that  the  report  of  a  rifle  will  not  frighten  it,  provided  it  does  not  smell  the  gun- 
powder. It  also  is  very  curious  and  will  come  up  to  examine  a  white  flag  or 
any  other  wavy  object  that  it  has  not  seen  before.  Hunters  frequently  take 
advantage  of  this  habit  to  lure  it  within  gun-shot.  The  flesh  is  good  eating, 
except  for  a  short  time  of  the  year,  when  it  has  a  peculiar  musky  smell.  Hence 
the  name,  musk-ox. 


THE  ANTELOPE   FAMILY. 


GROUP   OF  ANTELOPES. 


The  Antelopes  represent  a  large  and  important  group  of  animals  which 
are  more  or  less  common  in  all  tropical  parts  of  the  earth.  The  antelope 
comes  nearest  to  the  goat. 

Perhaps  the  best-known  member  of  this  family  is  the  pretty  and  graceful 
Gazelle.  The  gazelle  relies  wholly  for  its  safety  upon  its  great  speed.  They 
are  usually  found  in  large  bands,  protecting  each  other  from  the  attacks  of 
hyenas  and  jackals,  and  the  smaller  animals.  Against  the  lion,  the  leopard, 
and  man,  their  three  greatest  enemies,  they  are  almost  helpless.  In  spite  of 
the  wary  sentinel,  which  always  keeps  watch,  the  cunning  lion  works  its  way 
toward  the  gazelles  until  it  can  spring  upon  one  or.  at  any  rate,  reach  it  with 
a  couple  of  bounds.  The  lion  knows  perfectly  well  that  it  must  creep  up  within 
striking  distance,  for  should  it  be  seen,  the  gazelles  will  gallop  oft"  at"  a  pace 
which  the  great  cat  could  not  keep  up  for  fifty  yards. 


THE    ORYX. 


In  parts  of  Syria  and  Araoia  a  species  called  the  "aerial"  gazelle  is  held 
in  great  favor  as  a  household  pet.  It  is  a  pretty  little  creature,  with  large,  lus- 
trous eyes,  docile  and  good-tempered. 

THE   ORYX. 


The  Oryx  is  famous  for  its  beautiful  horns.  These  weapons  have  a  grace- 
ful curl  to  them  and  are  often  three  feet  long.  They  are  covered  with  rings, 
while  the  ends  are  smooth  and  very  sharp.  It  is  fairly  common  all  over  South 
Africa,  living,  like  the  gazelle,  in  bands.  It  is  not  nearly  so  timid  as  the  former, 
and  when  wounded  shows  considerable  spirit.  It  is  apt  to  lie  quite  still  until 
the  hunter  comes  near,  then  suddenly  charges  with  lowered  head  and  horns 
well  out.     These  wounds  usually  prove  fatal. 

In  the  early  days  of  South  Africa  the  oryx  used  to  wander  over  the  land 
in  huge  herds.  So  many  thousands  travelled  together  that  everything  green 
was  eaten  till  the  country  looked  as  though  it  had  been  swept  by  locusts. 


A  GROUP  OF  CHAMOIS. 


THE   CHAMOIS. 


The    Chamois   is 
perhaps  the  most  famous 
member  of  the  antelope 
family.  It  is  quite  wrong 
to  class  this  little  animal 
among-  the  goats,  al- 
though it  is  like  them  in 
appearance.    The  home 
of  the  chamois  is  in  the 
highest    Alps,   where    it 
feeds  upon  the  grass  that 
grows    near  the    snow- 
line.   Everyone   has 
heard  of  the  speed  and  jumping  power  of  the  chamois,  and 
last,  but  not  least,  its  wonderful  sense  of  smell.     It  will  scent 
a  man  at  a  distance  which  one  would  hardly  believe  possible. 
When  the  wary  creature  is  alarmed,  it  will  stand  like  a  statue 
and   stare   in  the  direction  in  which  it  smells  danger.     The 
instant  it  sees  anything  move,  it  rushes  up  the  mountain-side. 
The  rate  at  which  it  disappears  is  something  astonishing.  The 
chamois  is  just  as  clever  at  getting  down  hill  as  it  is  going  up. 
Hunters  sometimes  chase  the  animal   until   they  think  they 
have   it  cornered,  and   then   it  will   escape  being  caught  by 
sliding  down  what  seems  to  be  a  perpendicular  precipice. 

The  affection  of  the  doe  chamois  for  her  young  is  well 

shown  by  the  story  of  a  hunter  who  chased  a  chamois  and  her 

J  '  young  toward  the  end  of  a  rock  which  was  separated  from  its 

v:  surroundings  by  a  deep  chasm.    The  hunter  wanted,  of  course, 

A  to  catch  the  young  ones  alive.     To  his  surprise,  he  saw  the 

mother  spread   her  legs  across  the  chasm  between  the  two 

rocks,  and  then  make  a  sign  to  the  young  ones  to  climb  on  her  back.     The 

youngsters   soon  made  a  bridge  of  their  mother,  and  were  quickly  out  of 

harm's  way. 

The  chamois,  like  all  antelopes,  are  found  in  small  bands,  which  are  always 
guarded  by  a  sentinel.  Its  height  is  about  two  feet,  and  its  skin  is  a  brownish 
black,  streaked  with  white  around  the  face.  Its  horns,  which  are  about  six  or 
eight  inches  long,  are  turned  back  in  two  sharp  hooks.  They  are  jet  black  and 
beautifully  polished.     In  the  spring-time  there  are  sharp  battles  among  the 


% 


THE    SPRING-BUCK. 


chamois  before  they  pair  off  for  the  season,  but  once  summer  comes  they  all 
live  happily  together.  There  have  been  many  attempts  to  tame  the  chamois, 
but  they  have  only  been  partly  successful.  It  is  so  shy  that  it  will  not  allow 
anyone  to  touch  it;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  like  a  true  antelope,  it  is  con- 
sumed with  curiosity,  peeping  and  prying  into  everything. 


THE   SPRING-BUCK. 


AMERICAN    SPRING-BUCK. 


The  American  Spring-buck  is  an  antelope  which  is  found  on  the  prairies 
of  the  Western  States.  They  move  about  in  great  herds,  which  are  sometimes 
seen  in  one  district,  then  they  vanish  and  appear  in  an  entirely  new  locality. 

The  African  Spring-bok  is  still  found  in  great  numbers  throughout  the 
Transvaal  and  Orange  Free  State.  As  late  as  1891  the  spring-boks  made  a 
migration  north  toward  the  Zambesi  River.  They  took  several  days  to  pass  an 
up-country  station,  and  the  sheep-herders,  who  are  accustomed  to  accurately 
guess  the  numbers  of  herds  of  animals,  estimated  that  there  must  have  been 
over  half  a  million  spring-boks  on  the  move.  These  migrations  are  not  regu- 
lar, but  generally  take  place  when  the  food  in  the  plains  gives  out. 


A  HERD  OF  GNUS. 


THE  GNU. 


Is^MISMi 


Here  is  an  animal  called  the  Gnu,  which  seems  to  be  made  up  of  odds 
and  ends — the  legs  of  an  antelope,  the  body  of  a  horse,  the  tail  of  a  mule,  and 
the  head  of  a  bull.  The  early  Dutch  settlers  in  South  Africa  called  the  animal 
"wildebeest,"  and  they  had  good  reason  for  it.  This  strange  animal's  way  of 
living  is  almost  as  odd  as  its  appearance.  Like  most  antelopes,  it  is  very 
curious,  and  all  a  hunter  has  to  do  when  he  wants  to  get  a  shot  at  one  is  to 
lie  down  in  the  grass  and  wave  a  red  handkerchief.  The  startled  creatures  at 
once  gallop  off  as  if  they  never  meant  to  stop,  then  suddenly  they  all  pull  up 
and  look  at  each  other  as  if  trying  to  find  out  who  said  "  run  "  first.  Before 
they  can  make  up  their  minds,  some  of  the  males  will  begin  fighting,  and  the 
band  will  look  on  as  though  there  was  not  a  waving  red  handkerchief  within 
miles.  Then  the  whole  band  will  begin  whisking  their  tails  and  kicking  up 
their  heels  like  colts  and  dash  off  again.  Now  this  is  where  the  curiosity 
comes  in.  Apparently  they  have  forgotten  all  about  the  red  handkerchief,  but 
they  have  not.  The  band  will  come  back  to  where  they  started  from  and  gal- 
lop furiously  round  and  round  the  concealed  hunter,  always  narrowing  the  cir- 
cle until  they  come  within  easy  gunshot.  Sometimes  they  come  too  close  and 
one  old  fellow  will  charge  furiously.  The  hunter  has  to  look  out  for  himself 
then,  for  the  temper  and  strength  of  the  gnu  are  not  to  be  tampered   with. 


THE    HARTEBEEST. 

The  gnu  is  often  found  in  the  company  of  other  animals.  In  fact,  it  is  a  com- 
mon sight  to  see  them  rushing  over  the  veldt  in  the  midst  of  zebras,  antelopes, 
and  ostriches.     They  appear  to  live  peaceably  together. 

THE   HARTEBEEST. 


The  Hartebeest  is  another  South  African  antelope.  It  is  chiefly  famous 
for  its  horns,  which,  you  will  notice,  turn  straight  back  like  a  hook.  It  is  not 
nearly  so  swift  as  the  other  antelopes,  but,  nevertheless,  it  shows  considerable 
speed  when  pressed.  The  only  danger  in  hunting  the  hartebeest  is  that  when 
wounded  it  is  apt  to  turn  upon  its  enemy  and  charge  with  lowered  head.  Of 
course,  the  sharp-pointed  horns  become  terrible  weapons,  being  used  to  rip 
upward  like  the  boar's  tusks.  It  is  a  large  animal,  standing  as  high  as  five  feet 
at  the  shoulder,  while  its  head  is  held  erect. 

The  hartebeest  is  usually  to  be  found  in  large  bands,  which  roam  over  the 
veldt.  These  bands  move  slowly  from  place  to  place,  always  being  guided  by 
the  search  for  food. 


KOODOOS. 


THE   ELAND. 

THE   KOODOO. 

The  Koodoo  is  the  most  imposing"  of  all  the  antelopes.  It  is  a  large  and 
thick-set  animal,  which  is  not  usual  with  this  light  and  graceful  family.  The 
koodoo's  sides  are  striped  in  a  striking  manner,  while  along  the  top  of  its  back 
runs  a  ridge  of  black  hair.  The  horns  of  the  koodoo  are  very  beautiful,  being 
strong  and  highly  polished,  branching  out  in  two  large  corkscrew  turns  over 
the  top  of  the  forehead. 

As  the  koodoo  is  not  a  very  swift  animal,  it  is  hunted  by  white  men  in  a 
curious  manner.  One  man  starts  out  with  a  relay  of  horses  in  pursuit  of  the 
game.  As  soon  as  one  horse  is  tired  he  mounts  another,  and  in  a  very  short 
time  the  poor  koodoo  gives  in  and  allows  its  enemy  to  come  up.  To  hunt  the 
koodoo  in  this  fashion,  it  is  necessary  to  have  a  large,  open  track  of  country,  for 
it  has  most  wonderful  springing  powers.  It  will  easily  leap  over  a  fence  eight 
feet  high.  Therefore,  when  pursued,  it  always  tries  to  find  rocks  and  bushes 
where  it  can  be  safe  from  danger. 

The  koodoo  is  frequently  seen  in  zoological  collections,  but  it  never  looks 
as  fine  as  it  does  in  its  native  country.  The  beautiful  gloss  of  its  skin  van- 
ishes when  it  is  kept  in  captivity. 

THE   ELAND. 

The  Elavd  is  even  larger  than  the  koodoo.  It  is  said  to  weigh  as  much 
as  an  ox.  It  is  by  far  the  largest  of  the  antelopes.  It  is  hunted  for  its  flesh, 
which  is  tender  if  used  directly  it  is  killed.  This  is  a  great  luxury,  as  nearly  all 
the  meat  found  in  the  eland  country  is  dry  and  tasteless. 

The  natives  of  South  Africa  chase  the  animal  on  horseback  until  it  is  all 
but  tired  out,  and  then  drive  it  toward  their  camp  before  they  kill  it.  In  this 
way  they  save  themselves  the  trouble  of  bringing  the  carcass  home. 

It  is  a  curious  fact  that  the  eland  can  live  for  months  without  water.  It 
has  been  known  to  spend  a  large  part  of  the  year  on  the  sandy,  rainless  wastes 
of  the  Transvaal  near  the  Zambesi  River,  where  it  could  not  have  found  water 
if  it  had  wanted  it,  and  yet  it  did  not  seem  to  suffer.  Specimens  killed  during 
this  time  were  found  to  have  a  little  water  in  their  stomachs. 

The  eland  might  be  easily  tamed  and  made  useful  to  man  if  it  was  not  for 
its  large  appetite,  for  what  it  lacks  in  water  it  makes  up  in  food.  It  will  eat 
huge  quantities  of  dry  grass.  In  fact,  no  one  has  ever  known  an  eland  to  get 
enough  to  eat.  As  fodder  is  often  scarce  in  South  Africa,  owing  to  the  uncer- 
tain rainy  season,  it  would  never  pay  to  keep  an  eland. 


?^^^ :, .:.?:.:    .,.:- 


M%*Mq 


~  . ■  '""-:~"-'^?i. - ~-Sc5^i.-,-*. ^;-j=<^--^., . __rv-^^va-.: 


ELANDS. 


DOMESTIC   SHEEP. 


GOATS   AND  SHEEP. 

The  Goats  and  Sheep  are  closely  allied  to  each  other.  The  general  rule 
among  goats  is  that  their  horns  are  erect  or  curve  slightly  backward  or  outward, 
having  a  ridge  on  the  edge.  The  males  are  larger  than  the  females  and  more 
pugnacious.     They  have  bearded  chins ;  there  is  also  a  rank  odor  about  them. 

The  sheep,  on  the  other  hand,  are  not  as  restless  in  disposition  as  the 
goats,  and  are  not  so  strongly  built.  The  horns  of  the  rams  form  a  sharp 
spiral  curve  on  the  forehead. 

SHEEP. 

The  domestic  Sheep  have  been  so  interbred  and  divided  into  so  many 
varieties  that  the  original  forms  are  entirely  lost.  The  sheep  are  as  good 
climbers  as  the  goats,  and  it  is  a  common  sight  to  see  a  whole  flock  pass  over 
a  steep  mountain-side  upon  which  a  man  could  not  get  a  foothold. 

Sheep  are  generally  believed  to  be  cowards,  but  this  is  not  so.  If  a  flock 
of  mountain  sheep  is  disturbed  they  suddenly  form  themselves  into  a  com- 
pact mass  and  present  a  bold  front  to  the  intruder.  The  rams  will  charge  if 
the  enemy  comes  too  close.  Even  a  single  ram  is  no  mean  fighter  when  he 
is  thoroughly  angry,  and  his  charge  is  sometimes  fatal.  Goats  always  fight  by 
rearing  up  on  their  hind  legs  and  butting  sideways.  Sheep  never  do  this,  but 
always  charge  head  downward. 

Sheep  will  follow  a  leader,  and  no  matter  where  the  leader  goes  they  will 
follow.  If  the  leader  swerves  as  it  runs  along  the  path,  each  sheep  will  also 
swerve  when  it  reaches  that  spot.  If  a  sheep  suddenly  comes  across  a  snake 
it  will  jump  over  the  snake,  and,  although  the  snake  glides  off  into  the  grass 
and  is  not  seen  by  the  rest  of  the  flock,  each  one  will  leap  over  the  spot  as 
their  leader  did.  Shepherds  take  advantage  of  this  habit  of  following  a  leader 
and  always  make  a  pet  of  one  sheep,  teaching  it  to  follow  at  their  heels.  Then 
they  know  that  wherever  they  go  the  pet  will  follow  them  and  the  rest  will 
obediently  trot  on  behind. 

The  chief  use  of  the  sheep  is  in  providing  man  with  wool.  Vast  territories 
of  country,  such  as  the  Western  United  States,  South  America,  and  Southern 
Europe,  are  entirely  given  up  to  wool  raising.  There  is  no  animal  in  the 
world  that  is  of  so  much  use  to  man.  Every  part  of  the  sheep  is  turned  to 
account.  The  flesh  is  eaten,  the  wool  is  spun  into  cloth,  while  from  its  skin  is 
made  the  beautiful  Russia  leather. 


ANGORA  GOAT   and   ROCKY   MOUNTAIN   GOAT. 


ROCKY    .MOUNTAIN    GOAT. 


THE    AOUDAD. 

THE   ANGORA   GOAT. 

The  Angora  Goat  is  chiefly  noted  for  its  beautiful  wool,  from  which  the 
nnest  material  is  made.  This  animal  is  a  native  of  Arabia,  where  it  has  been 
carefully  preserved  for  hundreds  of  years  for  the  sake  of  its  wool.  There  have 
been  many  attempts  made  to  introduce  it  into  the  countries  of  Southern  Europe 
but  so  far  none  of  them  has  been  successful.  Directly  the  Angora  is  taken  out 
of  Arabia  the  quality  of  its  wool  deteriorates.  Its  horns  are  very  fine,  being 
marked  with  rings  and  curling  gracefully  over  its  head. 

THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAIN  GOAT. 

The  Rocky  Mountain  Goat  is  hunted  in  the  Western  mountains  of  the 
United  States.  It  is  a  wonderfully  agile  animal,  and  prefers  to  live  on  the 
precipices  near  the  snow-line.  Its  wool  is  of  a  very  fine  texture  and  nearly 
pure  white,  while  its  skin  is  made  into  valuable  leather.  Its  head,  which 
appears  small  for  its  body,  is  surmounted  by  two  little  horns  which  curl  back- 
ward.    Its  sight  is  excellent,  and  its  power  of  scent  is  very  keen. 

THE   ARGALI. 

The  Argali  is  the  king  of  the  goat  family  and  lives  in  Siberia      It  fre- 
quently measures  four  feet  in  height  at  the  shoulders,  and  is  proportionately 
large  all  over.     In  fact,  it  is  built  more  like  a  small  ox  than  a  goat.     Its  horns 
measured  on  the  curve,  are  about  two  feet  long.     The  argali  is  found  chiefly  in 
the  southern  mountains  of  Siberia  and  as  far  west  as  the  Caucasus  Mountains. 

THE   AOUDAD. 

The  Aoudad  is  closely  allied  to  the  argali.  In  fact,  it  is  often  spoken  of 
as  the  bearded  argali,  although  it  is  not  as  large  an  animal.  The  aoudad  has 
a  curious  growth  of  hair  like  a  mane,  stretching  from  the  chin  down  between 
the  forelegs. 

The  aoudad  is  found  in  Tunis,  Algeria,  and  Morocco,  but  its  greatest 
stronghold  is  in  the  Atlas  Mountains.  Like  the  argali,  the  aoudad  is  remark- 
ably active,  and  is  only  caught  in  its  native  mountains  with  the  greatest  diffi- 
.  culty.  Curiously  enough,  when  kept  in  captivity,  the  aoudad  does  not  become 
sullen  as  so  many  of  its  family  do,  but  remains  active  and  playful  It  is  full 
of  curiosity,  has  a  gentle  disposition,  and  is  capable  of  affection.  It  is  a  laro-e 
animal,  often  measuring  three  feet  in  height  at  the  shoulders. 


ARGALI   and    AOUDAD. 


THE   ARGALI. 


"■"■y  "'■:■■   -v,-'  ■' 


THE    AOUDAD. 


THE   IBEX. 


It   is   generally  be-     jjjjg 
iieved  among  naturalists 
that  all   the   goats    have 
sprung  from  the  Ibex. 

Many  years  ago  this 
beautiful  creature  was 
common  in  the  Alps  and 
the  Pyrenees  Mountains, 
but  it  has  now  vanished, 
except  where  it  is  pro- 
tected by  law.  Its  true 
stronghold  is  in  the 
Himalaya  Mountains  of 
India.  The  ibex  is  fa- 
mous for  its  horns,  the 
use  of  which  is  doubtful. 
It  was  thought  at  one 
time  that  when  the  ibex 
used  to  make  its  gigan- 
tic leaps,  it  broke  the 
shock  of  the  fall  by  land- 
ing upon  its  horns,  and 
no  one  has  yet  proved 
otherwise.  Ibex- shoot- 
ing is  one  of  the  great 
sports  of  India.  Only 
strong  men  can  attempt 
it,  for  they  have  to  go 
fourteen  thousand  feet 
hi<jh  to  reach  the  erame. 
Then  the  ibex  is  as  cautious  and  wary  as  the  chamois  and  exceedingly  difficult 
to  approach.  They  are  usually  found  in  small  bands,  which  are  led  by  an  old 
male  who  keeps  an  eagle  eye  upon  his  charges.  At  the  first  sign  of  alarm  they 
always  dash  up  toward  the  snow-line. 

The  ibex  lives  quite  comfortably  in  captivity.  Some  years  ago  one  was 
kept  in  London  and  became  as  tame  as  a  nanny-goat.  It  would  follow  its 
keeper  around  and  was  trained  to  draw  a  small  cart.  This  animal  had  been 
captured  in  India  when  it  was  quite  young,  its  mother  having  been  shot. 


GOAT  AND  KID. 


THE   MOUFFLON. 


The  Moufflon  is  found  in  the  mountains  of  Sardinia.  It  is  a  fine-looking 
creature,  having  two  thick,  three-sided  horns  curling  back  toward  the  shoulders 
with  a  graceful  sweep,  and,  although  a  true  sheep,  is  much  larger  than  any 
of  the  family  that  are 
tame.  Although  large- 
ly hunted,  it  is  by  no 
means  extinct. 

Its  sight,  hearing, 
and  smell  are  all  good, 
and  one  has  only  to  at- 
tempt to  shoot  a  mouf- 
flon to  find  this  out. 
The  slightest  odor  of 
man  in  the  wind  or  the 
gleam  of  a  gun-barrel 
is  enough  to  ruin  the 
shooting;  for  the  rest 
of  the  day.  Once  the 
leader  of  the  flock  has 
sighted  an  enemy,  he 
not  only  runs  away, 
but  keeps  his  eye  open 
to  prevent  a  second 
attack  being  made. 

On  one  occasion  a 
hunter  fired  at  a  flock  of 
moufflons  and  brought 
one  down.  He  spent 
the  rest  of  the  day, 
from  early  morning  to 
sunset,  trying  to  catch 
up  with  them  again. 
But  every  time  he  came 
to  any  high  ground  the 
old  leader  was  watching  for  him  and  promptly  gave  the  alarm  to  the  flock,  who 
immediately  dashed  off  among  the  rocks.  Although  the  hunter  followed  the 
moufflons  for  three  days  he  never  got  a  second  successful  shot.  The  moufflon 
shows  considerable  courage  if  it  is  cornered  or  its  young  ones  injured. 


SUNBEARS  AND  WILD   SHEEP. 


THE   BIGHORN. 


The  Bighorn  is  found  both  in  the  Sierra  Nevada  and  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains It  is  much  sought  after  by  hunters.  Like  all  the  rest  of  the  family,  it  is 
found  at  very  high  altitudes. 

A  close  variety  of  the  bighorn  lives  on  the  islands  off  the  coast  of 
Southern  California.  The  Catalina  goats  (named  after  the  island  upon  which 
they  are  found)  are  rapidly  becoming  famous.  They  are  slightly  smaller  than 
those  found  in  the  Rocky  Mountains.  They  live  on  the  very  highest  parts  of 
the  mountains,  never  caring  to  take  the  risk  of  coming  down  to  the  valleys. 
They  feed  upon  the  grasses  which  are  found  upon  the  ledges  of  the  precipices. 
When  a  flock  of  these  goats  are  seen  feeding  far  up  the  mountain-side,  it  often 
puzzles  the  hunter  to  know  how  they  could  have  got  there.  And  yet  if  he  fires 
his  rifle  the  goats  will  rush  off  and  leave  not  a  trace  of  their  presence  behind, 
except  a  cloud  of  dust  and  loose  stones  rattling  down  the  face  of  the  precipice. 
When  these  goats  were  first  discovered  they  were  bold  and  fearless,  coming 
up  to  examine  anyone  who  approached  them;  but  now  they  have  learned 
what  a  rifle  means. 

It  often  happens  that  if  a  bighorn  has  been  shot  it  will  scramble  swiftly 
away  and  die  on  some  rocky  ledge,  where  the  hunter  cannot  reach  it. 


GIRAFFES. 


THE   GIRAFFE. 

The  Giraffe  is  the  tallest  of  all  animals,  not  excepting  the  elephant 
This  is  chiefly  due  to  its  wonderful  neck.  A  full-grown  giraffe  often  exceeds 
twenty  feet.  On  the  top  of  its  head  are  two  curious  bones.  They  are  an  out- 
growth from  the  skull  and  not  horns,  as  you  might  think.  Also,  farther  down 
on  its  forehead  is  another  bone  growth,  somewhat  like  the  small  horn  of  the 
unicorn.  Its  white  skin  is  oddly  marked  with  brown  patches,  which  really 
serve  as  a  protection,  for  when  standing  near  a  tree-trunk  the  colors  match  so 
well  that  it  is  hard  to  see  a  giraffe.  The  skin  is  also  very  thick,  and  tough 
enough  to  turn  a  rifle-bullet,  unless  it  is  well  aimed.  The  Zulus  make  their 
war-shields  from  the  hide  of  the  giraffe.  The  tongue  is  long  and  thin,  and  as 
its  owner  feeds  upon  leaves  it  is  of  the  greatest  use  to  pick  out  just  those  that 
it  wants.  Its  eye  is  of  a  dark  brown  color,  and  is  mild  and  pleasing.  The 
giraffe,  like  the  kangaroo,  is  silent,  never  uttering  a  sound,  even  after  it  has 
been  badly  wounded.  In  spite  of  its  long  legs  it  is  not  a  swift  runner,  but  at 
the  same  time  it  defends  itself  and  keeps  off  the  hyena,  jackal,  and  other  small 
animals  by  kicking  all  around  with  lightning  speed.  When  one  thinks  of  the 
range  of  a  giraffe's  heels,  it  is  clear  that  they  might  become  formidable. 

A  hunter  on  one  occasion  watched  a  lion  creeping  toward  a  fine  old  bull 
giraffe,  but  just  as  it  was  about  to  spring  its  victim  must  have  caught  sight  of 
it,  and  like  a  flash  the  giraffe  sprang  round  and  kicked  furiously.  One  blow 
caught  the  lion  full  in  the  chest,  and  to  the  hunter's  surprise,  the  "  king  of 
beasts  "  beat  a  hasty  retreat.  This  giraffe  had  a  fearful  wound  in  its  flank, 
where  the  claws  of  the  lion  had  struck  it,  but,  on  the  whole,  it  seemed  well 
pleased  with  its  work. 

On  another  occasion  three  lions  were  seen  to  steal  toward  a  small  herd 
of  giraffes,  and  singling  out  one  bull,  they  all  attacked  it  together.  One  lion 
sprang  on  its  flank  and  was  immediately  kicked  off,  but  before  the  giraffe  could 
gain  any  advantage  another  lion  sprang  on  its  back.  The  giraffe  made  a 
frantic  struggle  to  reach  the  forest,  but  before  it  could  get  far  the  third  lion 
sprang  upon  its  neck,  and  the  first  lion,  which  had  been  kicked  off,  hung  on 
its  flank  again.  By  their  combined  weight  they  managed  to  pull  their  victim 
down.  Few  animals  could  have  withstood  the  attack  of  three  lions  for  such 
a  length  of  time. 

The  giraffe  causes  much  fun  in  the  zoological  gardens  by  stealing  the 
artificial  flowers  from  the  tops  of  the  ladies'  hats.  The  visitors  stand  near  the 
enclosure  thinking  they  are  safe,  but  forget  that  the  creature's  long  neck 
enables  it  to  reach  clean  over  the  railings.  The  giraffe  is  good-tempered,  and 
soon  gets  to  know  its  keepers. 


MOOSE. 


DEER  FAMILY. 

THE   MOOSE. 

The  Moose  or  Elk  is  the  largest  of  the  deer  family.  In  America  it  is 
called  the  moose,  in  Europe  the  elk.  It  is  justly  famous  for  its  horns.  When 
young  the  large  growth  of  the  horns  is  not  so  noticeable,  for  they  do  not  really 
assume  their  magnificent  branching  stage  until  the  owner  is  about  twelve 
years  old.  The  moose  moves  over  the  ground  with  a  swinging,  ungainly 
trot.  At  first  it  would  appear  that  its  pace  is  not  very  great,  but  when  the 
length  of  the  stride  is  measured  it  is  found  to  be  enormous.  Clumsy  as  the 
great  creature  is,  it  can  out-race  a  hunter,  especially  over  broken  ground. 

On  one  occasion  two  hunters  followed  a  moose  which  had  taken  flight, 
with  the  hope  of  bringing  it  to  bay.  They  thought  they  had  it  cornered  when 
they  saw  it  deliberately  make  for  a  large  open  space  covered  with  fallen  trees. 
To  their  surprise,  the  moose  did  not  alter  its  pace,  but  trotted  over  the  tree- 
trunks  as  though  it  was  on  level  ground.  Of  course,  the  hunters  were  left  far 
behind,  with  nothing  to  do  but  to  wonder  and  measure  the  trunks.  Some  of 
the  latter  proved  to  be  nearly  six  feet  in  diameter. 

When  the  snow  begins  to  melt  and  the  frozen  crust  will  no  longer  stand 
the  great  creature's  weight,  it  is  then  at  the  mercy  of  the  hunter,  who  can  skim 
over  the  frozen  plains  on  snow-shoes,  while  the  moose  plunges  through  to  its 
shoulders  at  every  step.  When  running,  the  moose  makes  a  curious,  snapping 
noise  which  is  caused  by  its  divided  hoofs  coming  together.  The  scent  and  hear- 
ing of  the  moose  are  both  good,  and  on  the  slightest  suspicion  it  will  run  off. 

In  places  where  man  never  goes  the  moose  has  adopted  a  curious  method 
for  defending  itself  from  the  attacks  of  other  animals.  A  number  of  the  great 
creatures  collect  together  and  trample  the  snow  down  over  a  large  area,  and 
thus  construct  what  is  known  as  an  "  elk  yard."  The  trees  and  grass  inside 
give  them  food,  and  they  are  safe,  for  no  other  animal  will  willingly  provoke  an 
open  quarrel  with  them.  Packs  of  wolves  hang  around,  snarling  and  watching, 
but  not  daring  to  attack  the  monarch  of  the  forest ;  but  should  one  of  them 
venture  out  into  the  soft  snow  the  hungry  wolves  soon  tear  it  to  pieces. 
Although  the  moose  does  not  attack  man  of  its  own  accord,  it  becomes  a  terri- 
ble opponent  if  wounded.  Should  its  mad  stampede  be  arrested  by  a  bullet, 
it  turns  at  once  and  charges  again  and  again  as  long  as  its  enemy  is  in  sight. 
Its  horns  are  used  against  everything  in  its  utter  blind  fury. 


MOOSE   RUN   DOWN   BY  INDIANS. 


THE  REINDEER. 


The  Reindeer  is  found  in  Northern  Europe.  The  people  of  Lapland 
have  succeeded  in  taming  the  reindeer  and  making  it  take  the  place  of  the 
horse  in  their  country.  It  is  not  a  majestic  creature,  as  one  might  think,  but 
on  the  contrary,  suffers  itself  to  be  handled  and  bullied  in  a  way  that  no  horse 
would  put  up  with.  In  the  summer  it  suffers  severely  from  flies  and  other 
insects.  As  winter  approaches  its  fur  turns  to  a  grayish  brown,  and  grows 
long  and  thick  and,  if  it  is  cared  for,  handsome. 

In  a  wild  state  the  reindeer  makes  annual  migrations.  In  summer  the 
herds,  which  often  number  several  thousand,  go  upon  the  mountains  to  feed, 
and  when  the  first  heavy  fall  of  snow  comes,  return  to  the  plains. 

Whenever  it  is  necessary  to  travel  over  ice  or  snow  fields  the  reindeer  is 
most  useful.  It  moves  along  with  a  clumsy,  shambling  trot,  but  it  really  gets 
over  the  ground  very  quickly. 

The  reindeer  is  bad-tempered.  It  will  try  to  bite  any  other  animal  which 
is  kept  near,  and  also  it  uses  its  horns,  which  are  very  dangerous  weapons. 


o 

I— I 

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o 
o 


o 


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i, 


THE   CARIBOU. 


.  •*•. 


The  Caribou  is  the  American  variety  of  reindeer.  Unlike  its  European 
cousin,  it  has  never  been  tamed  and  made  to  serve  man. 

The  caribou  has  been  chased  by  hunters  for  a  week  together  and  then, 
after  all,  escapes.  A  favorite  trick  of  this  animal  when  hard  pressed  is  to 
make  for  a  frozen  lake.  The  hunter  always  gives  in,  for,  in  spite  of  its  clumsy 
movements,  nothing  can  overtake  the  caribou  once  it  starts  across  the  ice-fields. 

The  caribou  is  persecuted  by  the  red  and  white  men  for  its  valuable  skin. 
The  little  Esquimaux  have  a  novel  method  of  catching  several  of  these  creat- 
ures at  once.  They  dig  a  pit  and  arrange  a  slab  of  ice  over  it,  so  that  when 
the  caribou  passes  that  way  it  will  be  tilted  into  the  pit  below.  As  the  slab 
is  pivoted  it  returns  to  its  original  position,  to  be  ready  for  the  next  victim. 

The  horns  of  the  caribou  are  very  heavy.  In  the  spring  the  males  have 
fierce  battles  among  themselves.  Sometimes  the  horns  break  off,  and  then  the 
poor  caribou,  being  defenceless,  is  speedily  killed. 


RED  DEER  AND  DOE. 


THE   RED    DEER. 

Almost  everyone  knows  the  general  appearance  of  the  Red  Deer,  with 
its  strong,  though  slender,  limbs,  its  full,  dark  eye,  and  its  noble  head,  with 
branching  horns.  The  splendid  antlers  are  rounded  and  bear  three  branches 
(or  tines,  as  they  are  called)  and  a  crown  consisting  of  three  or 'more  points. 
These  points  increase  in  number  with  the  age  of  the  animal,  and  when  the 
number  is  twelve  the  deer  is  then  known  as  a  royal  stag. 

This  deer  is  an  inhabitant  of  many  temperate  countries.  It  was  once 
quite  common  all  over  England,  being  protected  by  severe  forest  laws,  its 
life  being  regarded  as  more  valuable  than  that  of  a  man.  Now,  however,  it 
has  almost  disappeared  from  there,  except  in  a  few  private  parks.  But  it  still 
roams  among  the  wilder  parts  of  the  Scottish  Highlands  and  Western  Isles, 
the  finest  specimens  being  found  in  the  forests  of  Sutherlandshire. 

During  the  month  of  August  the  stag  begins  to  mate,  and  is  then  very 
cross.  The  battles  over  the  female  often  result  in  the  death  or  maiming  of 
one  of  the  combatants.  Although  the  stag  is  easily  tamed,  this  fighting 
instinct  comes  out  strongly  in  captivity,  causing  it  to  turn  against  those  it 
most  cares  for.  Nearly  every  year  at  this  time  one  or  more  serious  accidents 
happen  through  people  disturbing  the  stag,  from  ignorance  of  its  habits. 

The  red  deer  is  shy  and  wary,  with  a  very  keen  sense  of  smell.  This 
renders  the  pursuit  of  deer-stalking  very  difficult ;  the  hunters  have  to  study 
carefully  the  direction  in  which  the  wind  blows,  lest  the  deer  should  scent  the 
approach  of  his  enemies.  Though  he  flies  from  his  pursuers,  if  possible,  still, 
when  brought  to  bay,  he  will  fight  the  dogs  with  desperation ;  and  these  ani- 
mals are  trained  to  annoy  and  perplex  him  as  much  as  possible,  while  keep- 
ing out  of  his  reach  and  giving  the  hunters  a  chance  to  catch  up. 

The  female  is  very  timid,  and  is  a  careful  mother  to  her  graceful  little 
fawn,  which  (while  young  and  feeble)  she  likes  to  hide  from  the  male  for  fear 
of  his  killing  it.  The  red  deer  go  in  flocks,  herds  of  females  and  half-grown 
males  being  often  seen  under  the  leadership  of  one  stag,  who  is  the  master 
over  them  all. 

FALLOW   DEER. 

Fallow  Deer  are  often  seen  in  private  parks.  They  become  very  tame 
and  will  allow  strangers  to  approach  them.  The  herd  is  always  under  the 
command  of  a  leader,  who  holds  his  place  by  means  of  hard  fighting.  When 
the  leader  gets  old  there  is  a  contest  among  the  young  bucks  as  to  who  shall 
succeed,  which  lasts  until  one  deer  is  found  which  is  more  powerful  than  any 
of  its  fellows. 


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FALLOW  DEER 


THE   AXIS    DEER. 


The  Axis  Deer  is  found  in  India  and  Ceylon.  It  moves  about  mostly 
in  the  night,  hence,  not  being  seen  so  much,  it  is  believed  to  be  rarer  than  it 
really  is.  Although  a  pretty  little  creature,  it  is  not  as  active  or  intelligent 
as  the  fallow  deer.  It  can  run  very  fast,  but  is  not  able  to  keep  it  up  for  any 
great  distance.  The  axis  deer  is  constantly  hunted  by  tigers,  because  they 
find  it  much  easier  to  pull  down  than  to  fight  a  full-grown  buffalo. 

THE   ROEBUCK. 

Another  beautiful  little  deer  is  the  Roebuck.  Although  easy  to  tame,  it 
makes  a  bad  pet,  as  it  is  apt  to  use  its  horns  upon  anyone  it  does  not  like. 
When  wounded  it  never  offers  any  resistance,  which  is  contrary  to  its  family 
instinct.  The  roebucks  live  in  large  herds  and  pair  off  in  couples.  In  con- 
trast to  the  fallow  deer,  the  roebuck  is  found  in  the  mountains  and  never  in 
the  plains.  It  is  an  intelligent  creature  and  rapidly  adapts  itself  to  change. 
It  is  another  of  the  deer  family  that  is  used  ornamentally  in  parks. 


ROEBUCK, 


DEER  COMING  OUT  INTO  THE  OPEN. 


THE   CAMEL. 

The  Camel  has  been  called  the  "  ship  of  the  desert,"  and  for  a  very  good 
reason.  The  mighty  sandy  wastes  of  Africa  and  Asia  would  be  untravelled 
but  for  this  useful  creature. 

Its  stomach,  upon  which  the  life  of  the  camel  depends  during  its  long 
journeys,  is  constructed  in  a  wonderful  fashion.  It  contains  a  number  of  cells 
which  carry  a  great  quantity  of  water.  When  drinking,  the  camel  takes  in  suf- 
ficient to  fill  all  these  cells,  which  is  enough  for  a  six  or  seven  days'  journey, 
and  when  the  camel  gets  thirsty  it  draws  upon  this  supply.  It  is  thus  able  to 
live  a  week  while  crossing  the  blinding,  sandy  wastes  without  stopping  for 
water.  Some  naturalists  have  claimed  that  the  camel  has  never  been  wild,  for 
as  far  back  as  history  can  trace  it  has  always  been  in  the  service  of  man. 

In  parts  of  Arabia,  on  the  great  steppes  of  Russia,  and  the  plateaux  of 
Central  Asia,  camels  are  sometimes  seen  in  a  wild  state,  but  they  have  prob- 
ably escaped  from  some  of  the  tame  herds.  An  attempt  was  once  made  to 
introduce  the  camel  into  the  United  States.  The  animals  were  taken  out  to 
Arizona  and  New  Mexico.  The  plan  was  a  failure  and  the  herd  rapidly 
diminished  by  decease.  A  few  of  the  beasts  escaped  and  for  years  afterward 
were  seen  from  time  to  time  in  various  parts  of  Arizona. 

The  Arabian  camel  has  a  single  hump,  while  the  Bactrian,  or  camel  of 
Asia,  has  two  humps.  These  humps  are  formed  of  fat.  The  Arabs  can  tell 
the  condition  of  a  camel  by  its  hump.  After  a  long  journey  it  becomes  flabby 
and  sometimes  disappears  altogether,  while  the  hump  of  a  camel  in  good 
health  should  be  firm  and  solid.  The  feet  of  the  camel  are  splendidly  built 
for  the  work  it  has  to  do,  as  most  of  its  journeys  are  over  small,  loose  rocks 
and  shifting  sand.  Its  toes  are  wide  apart  and  well  padded  beneath,  so  that  it 
has  a  firm  foot-hold.  It  has  always  been  the  custom  to  load  the  camel  kneel- 
ing, hence  it  has  developed  a  hard,  leathery  surface  over  its  knees,  which 
serve  as  a  protection  against  sore  places  being  formed.  The  camel  has  been 
credited  with  greater  speed  than  it  really  has.  There  is  one  species  called 
the  "  heirie,"  which  can  trot  at  the  rate  of  ten  miles  an  hour  and  keep  it  up 
from  sunrise  to  sunset,  but  the  common  camel's  stride  is  seven  feet,  and 
taking  them  on  the  average  of  thirty-six  to  the  minute  makes  its  speed  about 
three  miles  an  hour. 

It  would  be  hard  to  find  a  creature  with  a  more  morose  and  ugly  disposi- 
tion. It  is  great  fun  to  watch  a  camel  being  loaded,  for  its  temper  is  worst 'at 
this  time.  The  Arab  comes  in  front  of  his  beast,  taking  care  to  keep  out  of  the 
way  of  its  teeth,  and  coaxes  and  begs  the  animal  to  get  down  on  its  knees.  If 
this  has  no  effect,  he  gets  a  big  stick  and  whacks  and  pokes  it  until  it  obeys. 


CAMELS. 


THE   BACTRIAN    CAMEL. 

He  must  tie  it  down  by  the  muzzle  or  it  will  rise  the  minute  his  back  is 
turned.  Then  the  patient  Arab  piles  his  boxes  on  top  of  a  saddle  and  straps 
them  there,  while  the  camel  keeps  up  a  gurgling  and  grunting,  all  the  time 
trying  to  bite  its  master's  legs.  When  the  loading  is  finished,  the  camel  rises 
to  its  feet.     If  it  is  in  an  extra  bad  temper,  it  will  buck  the  load  off  its  back. 

The  camel  lives  to  a  great  age,  and  in  some  parts  of  the  world  is  held  in 
great  veneration.  Sometimes  a  white  camel  is  born.  These  animals  are  always 
very  highly  prized.  The  dervish  warrior,  the  Madhi  of  the  Soudan,  rode  upon 
a  white  camel.  The  beast  is  said  to  have  been  a  magnificent  specimen,  being 
larger  than  any  of  the  commoner  species.  It  was  afterward  killed  in  battle. 
In  the  deserts  they  take  the  place  of  regular  cavalry. 


THE   BACTRIAN   CAMEL. 


The  Bactrian  is  the  two-humped  camel  of  Asia.  Although  it  is  larger 
than  its  Arabian  brother,  it  is  not  as  enduring  an  animal.  It  can  tightly  close 
its  nostrils  and  so  prevent  being  suffocated  in  the  dust-storms.  These  camels 
are  killed  by  the  Tartars  for  their  skin  and  flesh,  but  as  they  are  very  wild  and 
wary,  they  still  survive  in  some  numbers. 


LLAMA   and    ALPACA. 


The  Llama  and  Alpaca  are  natives  of  South  America.     From  their  wool, 
which  is  valuable,  is  spun  various  cloths,  among  which  is  the  famous  alpaca. 

Both  these  animals  are  gentle  in 
temper  and  disposition  and  are  used 
as  beasts  of  burden.  It  is  said  that 
they  can  carry  as  heavy  a  weight  as 
one  hundred  pounds. 

When  the  Spaniards  conquered 
South  America  they  found  that  the 
Indians  had  already  succeeded  in 
taming  the  llama.  The  Spaniards 
used  the  creature  to  carry  the  treas- 
ures of  silver  and  gold  from  the 
mountains  down  to  the  coast.  These 
|  animals  are  quite  large,  frequently 
standing  six  feet  hi^h. 


THE  HORSE   FAMILY. 

The  Horse,  as  far  back  as  history  goes,  has  always  been  in  the  service  oi 
man.  It  is  believed  that  the  forefathers  of  the  horse  came  from  Central  Asia, 
and  from  there  spread  all  over  the  world.  In  Tartary  the  horse  is  not  only 
ridden,  but  is  kept  for  its  milk  and  killed  for  its  flesh. 

THE  MUSTANG. 

North  and  South  America  are  the  home  of  the  wild  Mustang.  These 
horses  are  found  in  herds  of  many  thousands  in  number.  Each  herd  is  in 
direct  control  of  a  leader,  and  the  leader  keeps  his  place  by  right  of  battle. 
The  young  males  are  not  allowed  to  enter  the  herd,  but  have  to  live  solitary 
lives  until  a  sufficient  number  of  them  get  together  and  form  another  herd. 
In  some  extraordinary  manner  the  leader  horse  is  able  to  instantly  convey  his 
commands  to  his  companions.  At  any  rate,  it  is  well  known  that  the  whole 
herd  will  take  alarm  simultaneously  and  wheel  or  pull  up  suddenly  in  a  com- 
pact mass  without  the  slightest  confusion. 

The  usual  method  of  capturing  the  mustang  in  North  America  is  with  the 
rawhide  lasso.  The  mustang  is  pursued  until  the  rider  gets  close  to  it,  when 
he  throws  the  loop  of  the  lasso  over  its  neck  and  draws  it  tight.  The  rider's 
horse  pulls  up  and  the  rider  takes  a  couple  of  turns  of  the  rope  around  the 
horn  of  the  saddle.  The  result  is  that  the  strain  on  the  rope  throws  the  mus- 
tang head  over  heels,  and  before  it  can  recover  itself  it  is  safely  secured. 

In  South  America  the  mustang  is  captured  with  a  bolas.  The  bolas  is 
made  of  rawhide,  like  the  lasso;  but  instead  of  having  a  loop  at  the  end,  it  has 
two  short  pieces  of  rope  attached,  which  have  small  stones  fastened  at  the  ends. 
When  the  bolas  is  thrown  and  comes  in  contact  with  the  mustang's  legs,  the 
stones  naturally  wind  round  and  round  until  the  beast  is  so  tangled  up  that  it 
cannot  move. 

THE   ARAB    HORSE. 

Throughout  the  East  the  horses  are  all  descended  from  the  famous  Arab 
Horses.  These  creatures  are  noted  for  their  beauty  and  good  temper.  The 
Arabs  are  very  proud  of  their  horses  and  take  great  pains  to  keep  them  up  to 


AN  ARAB  HORSE. 


PONIES. 


the  standard  of  perfection.     The  stock  has  been  crossed  with  other  species, 
which  has  resulted  in  giving  us  many  of  our  most  famous  race-horses. 

RACE-HORSES. 

The  Race-horse  and  the  Trotting-horse  are  the  finest  examples  of  the 
perfection  to  which  animals  can  be  brought  by  good  training  and  breeding. 
The  training  of  the  race-horse  is  a  special  business  which  requires  great 
knowledge  and  patience.  The  horse  has  to  run  a  certain  distance  on  a  certain 
day  at  a  given  time.  Consequently  the  horse  must  be  in.  perfect  condition 
at  that  hour;  it  must  have  just  the  right  amount  of  rest  and  food,  or  else  it 
will  not  win  the  race.  It  must  be  remembered  that  the  race-horse  will  have 
to  contend  with  other  horses  which  are  its  equal  in  speed  and  training. 

The  trotting-horse  is  trained  in  much  the  same  way  as  the  race-horse. 
Some  idea  of  the  perfection  to  which  the  trotter  has  been  brought  can  be 
gained  from  the  fact  that  a  good  horse  can  run  a  mile  in  a  little  over  two 
minutes.     This  is  half  the  speed  of  the  fastest  express  trains. 

THE    HUNTER. 

The  Hunter  is  a  thoroughbred  horse  especially  adapted  for  running 
across  country,  jumping  hedges,  stone  walls,  and  gates.  The  hunter  is  more 
strongly  built  than  the  race-horse  and  can  therefore  stand  a  greater  strain. 
The  idea  of  the  race-horse  is  to  get  out  of  it  a  short  burst  of  speed,  while  that 
of  the  hunter  is  to  obtain  endurance. 

THE   CART-HORSE. 

The  Cart-horse  is  a  splendid  creature.  It  is  large,  broad-chested,  and 
of  great  weight,  while  its  strength  is  enormous.  It  is  an  intelligent  animal,  as 
anyone  knows  who  has  ever  seen  its  behavior  in  a  crowded  street,  or  watched 
it  struggling  to  get  a  heavy  load  up  a  hill. 

PONIES. 

Every  boy  loves  to  ride  the  Shetland  Pony.  This  little  creature  runs 
wild  in  the  islands  off  the  north  of  Scotland,  from  which  it  takes  its  name. 
Anyone  who  can  catch  a  Shetland  pony  on  its  native  hills  has  the  right  to 
keep  it.     They  are  hardy  and  live  well  when  brought  South. 


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'ASSES. 


The  Wild  Asses  all  over  the  world  hold  a  place  of  honor.  There  is 
hardly  any  other  animal  that  is  so  much  prized  in  the  East.  Its  greatest  use 
lies  in  its  speed,  for  a  greyhound  or  a  thoroughbred  Arabian  horse  cannot 
overtake  the  wild  ass  in  a  fair  chase.     It  is  also  very  sure-footed,  so  that  it 

can    travel    among  rocks  and  places  where  a 
horse  would  be  unable  to  tread. 

The  common  ass  or  donkey  is  a  good  old 
friend  to  every  boy  and  girl.     In  Europe  and 
America  it  has  been  made  stupid  by  ill-treat- 
ment and  its  intelligence  blunted  by  brutality. 
It  is  exceedingly  clever,  obedient,  and  willing, 
and  possesses  greater  endurance  and  strength 
than  the  horse.     In  the  East,  where  the  ass  has 
had  good  treatment,  its  development  has  been 
wonderful.     There  the  bright-eyed,  sleek,  clean- 
cut  creature  is 
quite    a    con- 
trast   to    the 
poor,  unkempt 
little  animal  of 
England.    The 
donkeys  would 
have    vanished 
if  they  were  not 
endowed    with 
such  wonderful 
strength.  They 
learn    clever 
tricks,  and   can 
be    taught    not 
to  go  outside  a 
given  bounda- 
ry ;  and  if  they 
do  trespass  on 
the  sly,  they 
make  every  en- 
deavor to  cover 
their  tracks, 


Assr.s. 


DOMESTIC    ASS    AND    YOUNG. 


and  will  hide  things,  steal 
when  they  can,  open  doors, 
and  work  pump  -  handles 
to  obtain  water.  Donkeys 
have  been  known  to  drown 
dogs  which  have  worried 
them,  while,  on  more  than 
one  occasion,  they  have 
beaten  off  a  full-grown 
leopard  by  nimbly  using 
their  heels. 

Anyone  who  has  vis- 
ited Cairo  or  Constanti- 
nople must  have  noticed 
the  little  donkeys.  Di- 
rectly you  land,  the  loud- 
mouthed driver-boys  shriek  their  beasts'  praises  until  you  are  deafened  and 
bewildered ;  and  you  make  a  bargain  in  true  Eastern  fashion,  paying  about 
one-fifth  of  the  sum  asked.  After  climbing  into  the  saddle  you  are  off.  The 
donkey  trots  along  through  the  narrow  alley-ways,  nearly  killing  you  or  some- 
body else  every  few  feet,,  first  by  brushing  against  a  wall,  or  knocking  down  a 
fat  Arab,  or  going  under  a  low  arch-way,  while  the  driver  behind  plies  his  stick 
vigorously,  all  the  while  shrieking,  "  Room  for  my  lord  !  "  "  Boy,  get  out  of  the 
way! "  At  the  end  of  your  journey  you  find  yourself  warm  and  jolted,  but,  on 
the  whole,  well  pleased.  It  is  impossible  to  walk  around  an  Eastern  bazaar 
without  being  nearly  run  over,  and  as  everyone  rides  you  may  as  well  take  a 
donkey  too.  After  awhile,  instead  of  looking  at  the  animal  as  a  simple  ass  and 
your  enemy,  you  will  find  that  he  is  a  shrewd  little  rascal  and  capable  of  play- 
ing you  many  a  trick  unawares. 

In  Arizona,  where  the  ass  is  called  the  burro,  it  is  still  used  by  the  Span- 
ish-Indian folk.  It  was  found  most  useful  in  the  early  days,  when  the  roads 
were  nothing  but  stony  and  sandy  trails. 

The  Wild  Ass  of  India  is  a  large,  beautiful  animal,  very  cautious  and 
timid,  and  like  all  timid  animals  it  is  also  extremely  curious.  If  it  sees  an 
object  that  it  does  not  understand  it  will  at  first  run  away,  but  on  seeing  that 
the  object  does  not  move  it  will  return  and  walk  round  and  round  it  in  ever- 
narrowing  circles  until  it  comes  quite  close,  and  then  it  will  sniff  at  it.  If 
there  should  be  any  peculiar  smell  about  the  object  it  will  take  fright  and 


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ASSES. 


gallop  away.  It  is  thought  great  sport  to  shoot  the  wild  ass,  and  to  accom- 
plish this  the  sportsman  must  start  off  to  the  plains  long  before  daylight 
and  find  some  place  to  conceal  himself  from  view.  As  the  hour  of  dawn 
approaches  he  hears  the  wild  asses  calling  one  another  with  a  curious,  short 


bray.  When  it  is  light  enough  to  see,  the  herds  begin  to  move,  and  unless 
there  is  no  food  near  they  do  not  hurry.  If  the  hunter  has  good  luck  they 
may  come  toward  him  and  all  he  has  to  do  is  to  lie  very  still  until  they  get 
within  ran^e.  Sometimes  the  herd  will  take  fright  and  will  rush  over  the 
spot  where  the  hunter  lies  concealed.  Even  if  a  rifle  is  fired  close  to  them 
it  will  not  turn  them  once  they  are  started,  and  the  hunter  will  be  trampled 
to  death.  If,  on  the  other  hand,  the  herds  move  away  from  the  hunter,  he 
must  creep  after  them,  taking  great  care  to  expose  himself  as  little  as  pos- 
sible. If  he  succeeds  in  bringing  an  ass  down  he  is  content,  for  he  knows 
he  is  not  likely  to  get  another  shot  that  day,  for  the  herds  have  rushed 
off  in  great  panic,  from  which  they  will  not  get  over  for  some  hours.  The 
leaders  of  the  herd  never  allow  themselves  to  be  taken  by  surprise  a 
second  time. 

The  speed  of  the  wild  ass  is  very  great.  It  can  outrun  a  swift  horse.  In 
fact,  it  relies  on  its  swiftness  for  its  safety.  Its  skin  is  made  into  valuable 
leather  and  its  flesh  is  good  to  eat. 


ZEBRAS. 


/ 


THE   ZEBRA. 


^S^g^^M 


s^PiHf 


The  Zebra  is  by  far  the  handsomest  of  the  ass  tribe.  This  curious  ani- 
mal is  a  native  of  Southern  Africa.  The  home  of  the  zebra  is  on  the  high 
land  among  the  rocky  hillside,  but  it  is  often  found  in  the  plains.  Its  color  is 
a  creamy  white,  marked  with  black  velvety  stripes.  The  disposition  of  the 
zebra  is  bad,  being  both  obstinate  and  ill-tempered.  There  have  been  many 
attempts  among  the  colonists  of  Southern  Africa  to  tame  it  like  the  horse, 
but  so  far  it  has  been  with  poor  success.  In  some  cases  the  zebras  have  been 
broken  to  harness  and  driven  two  abreast,  or  six  in  a  team.  But  it  is  danger- 
ous work,  as  the  animal  is  uncertain  and  liable  at  any  instant  to  forget  all  its 
training  and  to  dash  off  at  break-neck  speed.  In  spite  of  all  its  fierceness  the 
zebra  is  a  timid  animal.  Should  anything  approach  that  it  does  not  fully 
understand,  it  kicks  up  its  heels  and  dashes  off  for  shelter. 

Sometimes  vast  herds  of  antelopes,  hartebeest,  zebras,  and  ostriches  are 
often  found  together,  fire  or  drought  having  driven  them  out  in  search  of  water. 
In  the  early  spring,  the  male  zebras  fight  fiercely  together  for  their  mates. 

The  zebra  in  size  is  between  the  donkey  and  the  horse.  The  young  are 
striped  like  the  parents,  and  when  born  are  smaller  than  a  horse's  foal. 


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> 


A  FIGHT  BETWEEN  CROCODILES. 


KING   VULTURES   FEASTING. 


INDIAN  ELEPHANT  AND  YOUNG. 


THE   ELEPHANT. 


The  Elephant  has  a  greater  hold  upon  the  friendship  of  the  world  than 
any  other  animal.  Story-books  are  full  of  instances  of  its  wonderful  intelli- 
gence and  strength.  Then  again,  its  huge  size  makes  it  so  imposing  that  one 
cannot  possibly  behold  it  without  awe.  Its  friendship  and  fidelity  to  man 
are  well  known,  also  its  wonderful  memory,  recognizing  friends  sometimes 
after  years  of  separation.  The  question  is  often  asked  if  the  elephant  is  more 
sagacious  than  the  dog,  and  Sir  Samuel  Baker  has  given  a  good  answer : 
"  The  dog  is  a  man's  friend,  the  elephant  is  his  slave."  It  is  very  doubtful 
if  an  elephant  would  save  its  master  from  attacks  of  an  enemy  such  as  a  dog 
has  been  known  to  do.  The  elephant  moves  to  orders  obediently  enough, 
but  never  will  do  anything  of  its  own  accord. 

The  two  great  branches  of  the  elephant  tribe  are  the  Indian  and  African 
species.  Their  habits  are  much  the  same,  though  they  differ  greatly  in  build. 
The  African  elephant  is  the  larger  of  the 
two,  the  tusks  are  longer,  the  ears  are 
immense,  and  from  the  crown  of  the  head 
to  the  tail  a  continuous  slope  downward, 
the  body,  if  anything,  being  highest  right 
at  the  point  of  the  shoulder.  Now  in  the 
Indian  variety  the  head  is  lower  than  the 
shoulder  and  the  higl 
of  the  body  is  the  ba 
have  examples  of  ho 
Indian  elephants  may  becom 
but  the  African  eleph 
been  hardly  more  than 
mented  with.  The  c 
seems  to  lie  in  the  _ 
lack  of  facilities  for 
obtaining  the  huge 
creatures  in  quan- 
tities. The  instinct 
of  the  natives  is  to 
kill,  and  for  the 
sake  of  an  ivory 
tusk  they  will  de- 
stroy a  beast  which 


might    become    of 


THE    ELEPHANT. 


so  much  use  to  them.    The  only  marvel  is  that  the  white  settlers  in  Africa  have 
so  far  not  turned  their  attention  to  elephant  taming. 

Although  elephants  arc  strictly  tropical  animals,  they  suffer  greatly  from 
heat.  Directly  an  elephant  is  released  from  duty  it  will  make  for  the  nearest 
shade,  or  if  on  a  long  march  will  strip  a  large  tree-branch  to  shade  itself  and 
brush  away  the  flies.  The  dark  color  of  the  elephant,  together  with  its  huge 
size,  absorbs  a  great  amount  of  the  sun's  rays,  and  the  creature  resorts  to  a 
curious  way  of  keeping  itself  cool.  By  inserting  its  trunk  in  its  mouth  it  draws 
up  a  large  quantity  of  water  from  its  stomach,  and  squirts  it  over  itself.  Oddly 
enough  this  water  is  perfectly  sweet,  haying  no  odor  at  all.  The  elephant  has 
no  strong  smell,  such  as  the  lion  or  the  horse.  You  can  rub  its  skin  with  your 
hand  and  not  be  able  to  detect  any  odor. 

These  huge  creatures  are  exceedingly  fond  of  water,  being  able  to  swim 
the  widest  rivers.  It  is  a  grand  sight  to  see  a  herd  of  them  sporting  together. 
The  leader  bowls  into  the  water  first  and  the  rest  follow,  and  then  the  fun  be- 
gins in  earnest.  One  would  suppose  that  the  native  drivers  (called  mahouts) 
must  surely  get  drowned,  for  sometimes  they  stand  ankle  deep  on  their  ele- 
phants' backs,  the  elephant  being  entirely  under  the  water,  except  for  the  tip  of 
his  trunk,  which  he  leaves  out  for  breathing  purposes.  The  elephant's  dislike 
for  heat  and  love  of  water  naturally  go  together,  and  nothing  is  so  enjoyable  to 
it  as  its  morning  bath,  which  is  more  liberal  than  is  generally  supposed.  In 
spite  of  the  great  thickness  of  the  elephant's  skin,  it  is  exceedingly  sensitive, 
and  can  only  be  kept  healthy  by  constant  attention.  The  order  of  the  bath  is 
as  follows  :  The  mahout  goes  over  the  elephant  with  a  soft  brick  and  carefully 
cleanses  all  the  corners,  the  patient  enjoying  the  operation  immensely,  and 
adapting  itself  to  its  attendant  by  obediently  turning  from  side  to  side.  Then, 
that  part  finished,  the  elephant  rises  and  squirts  buckets  of  water  with  its  trunk 
on  its  back  and  sides.  It  now  appears  a  beautiful  black,  but  spoils  the  whole 
thing  by  pouring  dust  all  over  itself.  It  is  curious  to  note  that  the  elephant 
uses  dust  to  cure  all  its  troubles.  Should  a  part  of  its  head  become  tender 
or  a  sore  appear  on  its  back,  it  promptly  covers  the  place  with  dust,  which 
hardens  and  forms  a  solid  protection  against  the  onslaught  of  flies  and  insects. 

The  capture  of  elephants  is  very  exciting,  although  it  is  more  of  a  business 
than  a  sport.  Imagine  a  "round-up"  of  elephants  similar  to  one  of  steers  in 
the  West.  Once  it  is  apparent  that  more  elephants  are  needed,  a  regular  drive 
is  decided  upon.  A  huge  V-shaped  corral  is  built,  which  at  the  point  opens 
into  a  circular  enclosure  made  of  huge  baulks  of  timber.  A  decoy  elephant, 
which  is  used  to  attract  the  game,  sets  out  on  a  tramp  through  the  jungle  and 


THE  DEATH  OF  A  GIANT. 


THE    ELEPHANT. 


the  wild  elephants  begin  to  follow  in  its  wake.  The  leader  goes  steadily  for- 
ward while  the  huge  herd  trails  behind.  When  enough  are  gathered,  the  leader 
quietly  makes  for  the  V-shaped  corral,  the  ends  of  which  are  carefully  concealed 
by  trees.  The  first  elephant  soon  gets  suspicious,  but  the  crowd  behind  push  it 
forward.     Then  the  leader  goes  right  down  to  the  tip  of  the  V  and  enters  the 

second  corral,  and  the  herd  follows.  When 
all  are  in,  the  gigantic  gates  are  shut  and 
the  great  beasts  realize  that  they  are  caught. 
ifg^  A  scene  of  wildest  excitement  ensues,  for 
the  great  concourse  of  people  which  natu- 
rally gathers  for  such  a  fete,  yell  and  beat 
tom-toms  until  the  noise  is  deafening.  The 
flaring  of  torches,  the  rattling  of  chains,  the 
shrill  shrieks  of  children,  mixed  with  the 
shouts  of  men,  and  the  wild  trumpeting 
of  the  elephants  make  a  wonderful  scene. 
The  terrified  prisoners  rush  madly  round, 


THE   ELEPHANT    CORRAL. 

seeking  an  exit,  and  here  is  illustrated 
a  curious  fact:  elephants  seem  to  have 
no  idea  of  combining.  Strong  as  the 
stockades  are  built,  they  would  go  down 
like  match-wood  before  a  charge  of  the 
maddened    beasts,   and   yet    this    is    an 


THE    ELEPHANT. 


exceedingly  rare  occurrence.  Then  the  task  of  securing  the  likeliest  specimens 
now  begins.  Tame  elephants,  with  men  on  their  backs,  armed  with  long  ropes 
and  chains,  enter  the  corral,  and  the  elephants  huddle  at  the  other  end.  The 
mahout  promptly  singles  out  a  large  animal  for  his  own  use  and  then 
urges  it  forward  to  prod  out  one  of  its  brethren  with  its  tusks  till  it  is  separ- 
ated from  its  companions.  Then,  with  infinite  skill,  one  of  the  men  slips 
a  nooss  over  a  hind  foot  while  the  other  end  is  made  fast.  The  elephant 
does  not  notice  this  at  first  until  it  tries  to  rejoin  the  herd,  and  then  comes  a 
period  of  frantic  pulls  and  struggles,  with  much  squealing,  but  all  of  no  use. 
Its  other  feet  are  shackled  and  it  finds  itself  bound,  a  helpless  prisoner.  While 
this  is  going  on  the  elephant  sometimes  exhibits  great  violence,  especially 
when  a  mother  is  trying  to  get  to  her  squealing  youngster,  or  an  old  bull  ele- 
phant, in  its  blind,  dumb  fury,  is  lashing  out  in  all  directions  with  its  trunk. 
When  discretion  gets  the  better  part  of  bad  temper  and  the  captive  gives  in, 
which  is  generally  after  being  tied  up  for  many  hours  without  food,  it  is 
chained  between  two  tame  elephants  and  led  off  to  be  broken  to  harness  and 
taught  its  other  duties  in  life.  The  finest  elephants  having  been  selected  from 
the  catch,  the  others  are  turned  loose,  to  be  recaptured  in  a  year  or  two,  when 
their  ivory  is  in  a  more  perfect  condition. 

What  are  the  uses  of  the  elephant?  A  great  many  and  various.  The 
most  magnificent  creatures  are  purchased  by  the  Rajahs  to  be  used  on 
great  state  occasions.  The  government  employs  others  in  the  great  teak 
forests,  while  more  become  hunting  elephants.  The  Indian  rulers  take  great 
pride  in  their  elephants,  and  adorn  their  harness  with  elegant  silks  and  gold 
trappings.  Then  a  large  number  are  used  by  the  British  Government  in  the 
artillery.  A  mounted  battery  drawn  by  two  elephants  is  a  fine  sight,  but,  after 
all,  the  elephant  is  not  always  to  be  relied  upon,  because  it  is  liable  to  stam- 
pede at  any  instant  when  the  firing  begins  At  pulling  and  hauling  the  ele- 
phant has  no  equal.  A  traveller  watched  a  number  of  tuskers  at  work  in  a 
teak  forest  in  Burmah.  One  old  fellow  was  particularly  interesting.  It  would 
hoist  a  gigantic  baulk  of  timber  nicely  balanced  on  its  tusks,  keeping  it  there 
with  its  trunk,  and  then  carry  it  to  the  pile.  After  laying  the  burden  down  in 
place,  the  old  fellow  would  cock  his  eye  along  the  stack  to  see  that  it  was 
straight,  pushing  and  butting  the  timber  with  its  head  into  place  until  it  was 
satisfied. 

The  elephant  is  in  great  request  for  tiger-shooting;  why,  it  is  hard  to 
understand,  unless  because  of  its  great  size  and  strength,  but  surely  not  on 
account  of  its  pluck,  for  it  is  a  wretched  coward.     The  trunk  of  the  elephant  is 


THE    ELEPHANT. 


the  most  sensitive  and  delicate 
part  of  its  body,  and  any  injury 
thereto  causes  it  intense  agony. 
Should  a  tiger  spring  on  a  hunt- 
ing-elephant, as  it  is  very  apt  to 
do,  the  trunk  naturally  bears  the 
brunt  of  the  attack.  It  is  well 
known  that  it  is  never  safe  to 
take  into  the  field  an  elephant 
that  has  been  once  badly  clawed 
by  a  tiger,  for  at  the  first  sign  of 
the  enemy  it  will  turn  tail  and 
rush  off  in  a  disgraceful  panic. 
As  an  elephant  can  easily  run 
from  fifteen  to  eighteen  miles  an 
hour,  and  is  very  tall  besides, 
while  the  branches  of  the  trees 
are  low,  the  hunters  naturally 
fare  badly.  But  a  tiger  will 
hardly  ever  face  a  line  of  ele- 
phants. When  a  part  of  the  jun- 
gle is  to  be  beaten,  the  elephants 
are  placed  ten  feet  apart  and 
moved  forward  in  a  steady  line, 
before  which  every  living  creat- 
ure must  fly  or  be  crushed  to 
death.  Gradually  the  space  to  be 
covered  grows  smaller  and  the 
elephants,  in  the  wildest  excite- 
ment, press  forward,  till  the  tiger  breaks  cover  with  a  roar.  Then  is  the  time 
to  witness  the  skill  of  the  mahouts  in  keeping  their  huge,  quaking  charges  in 
line.     The  hunters  are  on  the  lookout,  and  a  bullet  should  end  the  sport. 

A  traveller  speaks  of  a  case  where  a  tiger  sprang  upon  the  head  of  an 
elephant  which  succeeded  in  shaking  it  oft".  As  the  tiger  bounded  away  a 
bullet  in  the  shoulder  brought  it  down.  As  soon  as  the  elephant  recovered 
from  its  first  fright  and  saw  its  enemy  lying  helpless,  it  became  unmanage- 
able with  fury  and  charged  down  upon  the  tiger,  crushing  every  spark  of 
life  out  and  then  literally  performed  a  wrar-dance  on  the  body.     The  hunters 


ELEPHANT    CHARGING   A   WOUNDED   TIGER. 


THE   ELEPHANT. 


SACRED    WHITE   ELEPHANT. 

were  flung  off  right  and  left  from  the  elephant's  back,  so  violent  were  its 
actions.  Directly  the  elephant  sniffs  danger  it  curls  up  its  trunk  to  keep  it 
out  of  harm's  way. 

It  is  generally  estimated  that  an  elephant  lives  about  one  hundred  and 
fifty  years,  but  does  not  attain  its  full  growth  of  size  and  ivory  until  about  its 
fortieth  year.  Its  weight  often  reaches  six  or  seven  tons,  while  its  tusks  turn 
the  scales  at  six  hundred  pounds.  When  in  captivity  the  regular  allowance 
of  food  for  an  elephant  is  six  hundred  pounds  a  day,  and  it  has  four  teeth 
with  which  to  grind  it.  When  wild,  it  is  exceedingly  capricious  in  its  tastes, 
and  will  destroy  acres  of  forest,  apparently  out  of  deviltry.  Being  nocturnal 
in  its  habits,  it  must  find  its  food  by  touch  and  smell  alone.     It  will  eat  only 


THE    ELEPHANT. 


FULL-GROWN    INDIAN    ELEPHANT. 


the  bark  of  some  trees,  while  it  will  carefully  strip  the  bark  off  others,  throw  it 
away,  and  select  the  wood  inside. 

Like  our  domestic  deer,  there  is  a  period  of  about  three  months  in  the 
year  when  it  is  not  safe  to  go  near  the  elephant.  It  is  called  the  "must" 
time.  During  his  temporary  madness  all  signs  of  affection  leave  the  beast 
and  he  is  alternately  sullen  and  treacherous,  liable  to  break  forth  into  awful 
fits  of  anger.  Many  instances  are  on  record  where  a  "  must "  elephant  has 
broken  loose,  destroyed  life  and  property,  and  then  reverted  to  its  old  state 
again.  It  is  then  that  it  is  more  dangerous,  for  having  a  knowledge  of  the 
ways  of  man,  it  descends  upon  unprotected  villages,  carrying  death  and 
destruction  in  its  wake.  To  show  that  this  side  of  its  nature  is  only  tem- 
porary, elephants  that  have  escaped  during  the  "  must "  time,  after  being 
recaptured,  have  become  peaceable  and  trustworthy  servants  once  more.  So 
we  have  seen  that  the  quiet,  solemn,  clucking  elephant  can  be  terrible  at 
times.  All  elephants  have  a  dread  of  insecure  ground  and  will  not  cross  a 
bridge  until  they  have  first  tested  its  strength.  If  urged  forward  they  become 
sulky,  when  simply  nothing  can  move  them,  or  else  they  lash  out  with  their 
trunks  or  feet.  It  is  an  astonishing  fact  that  an  elephant  can  kick  with  light- 
ning swiftness,  both  back  and  front,  often  reaching  as  high  as  a  man's  head. 


THE   TAPIR 


AMERICAN    TAPIR. 


The  Tapir  forms  a  link  between  the  elephant,  rhinoceros,  and  the  swine. 
It  has  a  trunk  much  smaller  than  that  of  the  elephant,  and  yet  larger  than  the 
hog's.     Its  body  is  heavy,  its  skin  is  thick  and  hairless,  while  its  tail  is  stumpy. 

The  American  tapir  inhabits  the  tropical  countries  south  of  the  equator, 
where  it  lives  in  great  numbers  in  the  densely  wooded  region  near  the  rivers. 
It  swims  and  dives  well,  being  able  to  walk  on  the  river-bed.  In  spite  of  its 
large  size  and  weight,  the  tapir  has  no  strong  weapon  of  defence,  and,  there- 
fore, frequently  succumbs  before  the  onslaught  of  animals  like  the  jaguar.  On 
these  occasions,  when  a  jaguar  springs  upon  its  back,  the  tapir  rushes  to  the 
nearest  river  and  rolls  over  and  over  until  its  enemy  is  forced  to  loose  its 
hold  or  be  drowned.  But  in  many  cases  the  jaguar  has  finished  its  work 
before  its  victim  can  reach  a  stream.  The  tapir  has  a  gentle  disposition  and 
will  not  attack  human  beings  unless  brought  to  bay,  and  then  it  uses  its  teeth 
fiercely.  The  tapir  is  a  silent  animal,  seldom  uttering  its  curious  shrill 
whistle.     Its  hearing,  sight,  and  scent  are  equally  good.     During  the  daytime 


THE    MALAYAN    TAPIR. 


it  hides  in  the  deep  brush-wood,  but  at  sundown  it  goes  out  in  search  of  food. 
A  curious  fact, is  that  this  strange  animal  makes  long  journeys  at  night  and 
always  travels  in  a  straight  line,  climbing  banks,  going  through  forests,  or 
swimming  rivers.  Its  neck  is  covered  with  a  short,  black  mane,  while  its 
general  color  is  of  a  sombre  brown,  which  does  not  change  with  the  seasons. 
The  young,  however,  are  beautifully  marked  with  yellowish  fawn  spots  and 
stripes  upon  a  coat  of  rich,  brown-black  color. 


THE   MALAYAN   TAPIR. 

The  Malayan  Tapir  inhabits  Java  and  Sumatra.  The  broad,  white  band 
on  its  flanks  is  its  most  conspicuous  feature.  In  size  it  is  rather  larger,  if  any- 
thing, than  its  American  brother,  while  in  habits  the  two  are  exactly  alike.  The 
Malayan  tapir  does  not  swim  as  much  as  the  American  species,  but,  neverthe- 
less, among  the  natives  it  is  known  as  the  river-horse,  a  term  also  applied  to 
the  hippopotamus  of  Africa. 

The  natives  usually  catch  the  tapir  in  pit-falls,  for  their  bows  and  arrows 
are  not  strong  enough  to  penetrate  its  skin. 

3  >;'.;"■'■  i 


MALAYAN    TA1TR. 


HERD  OF  WILD  BOARS. 


SWINE. 

Pigs  are  omnivorous — that  is,  they  will  eat  anything ;  their  teeth  are 
accordingly  designed  for  procuring  many  kinds  of  food,  and  at  the  same  time 
to  act  as  weapons  of  offence  and  defence.  On  the  whole,  pigs  are  affectionate 
toward  their  young  and  each  other,  living  peaceably  in  herds.  On  the  other 
hand,  pigs  fight  fiercely  when  angered.  They  possess  great  strength,  keen 
noses,  sharp  ears,  but  are  not  noted  for  good  eyesight.  The  family  is  large,  • 
having  members  scattered  in  every  portion  of  the  world. 

THE   WILD    BOAR. 

The  Wild  Boar  is  the  king  of  the  pigs.  It  is  honored  all  over  the  world, 
from  Germany  to  India.  It  is  a  curious  fact  that  few  large  animals  will  attack 
man;  the  lion,  dignity  and  all,  turns  aside,  and  so  does  the  tiger;  but  not  so 
the  boar.  This  mighty  pig  fights  for  the  very  love  of  it.  The  size  of  the 
enemy  seems  to  matter  very  little,  for  it  has  been  known  to  put  a  tiger  to 
flight.  The  boar  is  armed  with  two  tusks  about  ten  inches  long;  five  inches 
of  the  tusks  are  firmly  set  in  the  jaw,  while  the  other  five  appear  for  work. 
Although  these  tusks  seem  a  poor  sort  of  weapon,  it  is  astounding  what  dam- 
age they  are  capable  of  doing.  The  boar's  neck  is  short  and  thick-set,  and 
when  cornered,  it  has  a  habit  of  jerking  its  head  upward  and  sideways,  the 
tusks  ripping  through  everything  they  encounter. 

Pig-sticking  is  a  favorite  sport  in  India.  A  hunter  mounts  a  fleet  horse 
and  arms  himself  with  a  strong  bamboo  pole  having  a  steel  spear-head  at  the 
end ;  then  he  rides  into  "  pig  country  "  and  puts  up  his  quarry.  The  pig 
breaks  cover  and  the  race  for  life  begins.  At  first  sight  you  would  not  sup- 
pose that  the  pig  was  making  any  great  headway,  but  when  the  horse  tries  to 
run  it  down  the  mistake  is  found  out.  The  short,  stubby  legs  of  the  boar  can 
carry  it  over  the  ground  at  a  great  rate,  but  unless  it  can  reach  cover  at  a 
reasonable  distance  its  pace  begins  to  flag  and  the  hunter  gets  his  chance. 
Riding  up  alongside  the  fleeing  animal,  he  plunges  his  spear  between  the 
boar's  shoulders  and  kills  it  at  once. 

Sir  Samuel  Baker  says :  "  There  is  an  immense  amount  of  character  in  a 
pig.''  The  boar  is  thoughtful  and  clever,  and,  moreover,  it  knows  its  own 
mind  and   acts  like  a  flash.     Sometimes  when  the  native    Hindoos   are   out 


w 

o 
> 

2 


THE    PECCARY. 


beating  up  a  tiger,  they  will  disturb  a  boar.  The  old  rascal  sniffs  the  air  and 
makes  up  its  mind  which  way  it  will  go.  If  it  is  forward,  away  it  dashes.  But 
sometimes  it  awaits  events  and  quietly  sneaks  into  a  piece  of  dense  jungle. 
When  the  beaters  come  quite  close,  the  pig  charges,  and  immediately  there 
are  shrieks  and  yells  and  a  wild  scrambling  to  right  and  left.  Then  stones  are 
seen  to  fly,  and  with  a  few  angry  grunts  the  pig  vanishes. 

Ceylon  is  the  true  home  of  the  pig,  for  it  grows  larger  and  fiercer  there 
than  anywhere  else  in  the  world.  Everyone  has  heard  of  "  learned  pigs."  As 
a  matter  of  fact,  the  domestic  swine  show  great  intelligence  and  are  quite 
clever.  Their  hearing  is  good,  and  their  sense  of  smell  is  very  delicate,  while 
they  are  capable  of  great  affection.  Pigs  run  swiftly  and  can  leap  several  feet  in 
the  air.    A  wild  hog  has  been  known,  when  pressed,  to  clear  a  nine-foot  fence. 

THE   PECCARY. 

The  Peccary  is  one  of  the  famous  animals  of  the  world.  It  is  so  fierce 
that  no  man  can  withstand  its  attacks.  It  is  not  much  larger  than  an  ordi- 
nary  pig,  but,  nevertheless,  wherever  it  lives  it  rules  over  everything. 

The  peccary  is  found  in  Brazil,  and  there  it  is  sometimes  shot  for  its  flesh. 

-^a^aiwa^^^^^;  On  one  occasion  a  jaguar 

-^     :"Jr^X    -.,  jfe?         1    sprang  upon  a  peccary,  whose 

angry  grunt  soon  brought  its 
friends  to  the  rescue,  and  be- 
fore the  jaguar  was  aware  of  it, 
it  was  set  upon  by  the  fierce 
little  herd,  who  simply  tore  it 
to  pieces.  Many  a  hunter  has 
been  forced  to  take  to  a  tree, 
and  has  been  kept  a  prisoner 
there  by  angry  peccaries.  They 
are  obstinate,  ignorant,  and 
stupid,    for,    while    they    fight 


,_._    „.,„  .     .      bravely,  they  learn  no  wisdom 
from  their  victories  and  defeats 
beyond  that  of  keeping  together  and  always  attacking  the  common  foe. 

The  home  of  the  peccary  is  usually  in  the  hollow  of  some  tree.  The 
natives  of  Brazil  take  advantage  of  this  fact  and  lie  hidden  nearby,  and  shoot 
the  peccaries  as  they  come  home.  The  peccaries  always  back  into  their  hollow, 
first  one,  then  another  likewise,  the  last  one  keeping  watch  at  the  opening 


RABYROUSSA  AT  HOME. 


THE   BABYROUSSA. 


The  Babyroussa  lives  in  the  Celebes  Islands.  Besides  two  ordinary 
tusks,  like  the  boar,  it  has  two  extra  ones  above  its  nose  which  grow  backward. 
It  is  a  powerful  animal,  very  fierce,  and  grows  as  large  as  a  small  donkey.  It 
is  a  good  swimmer,  often  staying  hours  in  the  water  just  for  pleasure. 

On  one  occasion  a  party  of  hunters  were  crossing  a  stream  at  a  spot 
where  the  shadows  were  very  dark,  when  they  suddenly  found  themselves 
face  to  face  with  a  huge  babyroussa.  The  animal  stared  at  them  in  astonish- 
ment for  a  moment  or  two  and  then,  with  a  fierce  grunt,  charged.  The  party 
scrambled  right  and  left,  but  one  hunter,  who  was  standing  knee-deep  in  the 
stream,  fell  over  just  as  the  babyroussa  reached  him.  The  creature  made  a 
sharp  lunge  with  its  tusks,  but  missed  a  vital  spot  and  ripped  open  the 
hunter's  thigh  instead.  The  beast  then  turned  and  tried  to  trample  the  man 
to  complete  his  work,  when  another  hunter  put  his  rifle  just  in  front  of  the 
animal's  ear  and  killed  it.  The  native  hunters  who  were  with 'the  party  were 
much  surprised  to  see  how  easily  the  great  pig  put  the  white  man  to  rout. 

On  another  occasion  a  babyroussa  charged  into  a  camp  just  as  some 
hunters  were  about  to  eat  their  evening  meal.  The  men  rushed  for  their  rifles, 
but  before  they  could  get  a  single  shot  the  beast  had  vanished.     As  it  did  not 


THE   BUSH-HOG. 

return  to  the  attack,  the  hunters  thought  that  it  must  have  been  frightened 
with  the  clatter  which  the  tin  dishes  made  in  being  knocked  about  in  the  wild 
scramble. 

Throughout  the  Celebes  group  the  natives  have  a  great  fear  of  the  baby- 
roussa.  It  is  not  a  common  animal,  and  is  but  seldom  seen  because  its  home 
is  in  the  thickest  part  of  the  forest.  Owing  to  its  peculiar  color,  it  is  a  very 
difficult  animal  to  see  when  standing  near  tree-trunks  or  rocks. 

THE   BUSH-HOG. 


The  Bush-hog  belongs  to  South  Africa.  It  is  usually  found  in  the 
thickest  forests,  where  it  lives  in  holes  which  it  makes  for  itself.  The  bush- 
hog  often  visits  outlying  stations  and  does  immense  damage  in  a  single 
night.  It  will  root  up  young  trees,  eat  all  the  vegetables  it  can  find,  while  it 
tears  its  way  through  gates  and  fences  to  get  at  what  it  wants.  Although  a 
large  and  powerful  animal,  it  is  not  as  fierce  as  the  babyroussa,  nor  as  clever 
as  the  true  boar.  The  bush-hog  can  best  be  distinguished  by  the  broad,  white 
band  upon  it,  starting  from  the  top  of  its  head  and  reaching  down  to  the  tail. 
It  is  sometimes  shot  for  its  flesh,  which  is  considered  good  eating. 


THE   VLACKE-VAR'K. 


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tt^#»»« 


The  Vlacke-vark  is  another  of  the  swine  family  belonging  to  Africa. 
In  spite  of  its  fierce  looks  it  can  be  easily  tamed.  The  keepers  in  the  London 
Zoo  drive  them  about  like  pigs.  In  Abyssinia  the  vlacke-vark  lives  in  bur- 
rows, which  resemble  a  huge  rabbit-warren.  If  its  home  is  invaded,  it  will 
charge  from  one  of  the  openings,  and  woe  to  anyone  who  is  near. 

The  usual  method  of  hunting  the  vlacke-vark  is  for  one  man  to  take  up  a 
commanding  position  near  the  mouth  of  one  of  the  burrows,  and  then  watch 
while  a  native  throws  a  lighted  ball  of  oily  cotton  into  the  mouth.  When  the 
smoke  becomes  very  thick  inside,  the  vlacke-vark  comes  out  snorting  with 
rage.  Now  is  the  hunter's  time,  and  he  must  be  very  cool-headed  and  a  good 
shot,  for  the  vlacke-vark  will  surely  come  at  him,  even  if  he  is  perched  up 
among  the  rocks.  The  bones  of  the  beast's  skull  are  very  heavy,  and  unless 
a  rifle-bullet  is  placed  in  exactly  the  right  spot,  it  will  only  wound  the  animal, 
increasing  its  fury  without  stopping  its  charge;  hence,  there  is  great  danger  in 
hunting  this  mighty  pig.  The  vlacke-vark  is  a  very  swift  animal  and  can 
easily  outrun  a  horse  if  the  ground  is  at  all  rough.  It  is  frequently  spoken 
of  as  the  Abyssinian  wart-hog. 


GOLDEN  EAGLES  FIGHTING. 


RHINOCEROS. 


THE   RHINOCEROS. 


INDIAN    RHINOCEROS. 


It  is  sometimes  thought  that  the  Rhinoceros  must  have  been  the  animal 
which  the  ancients  called  the  unicorn.  This  famjly  is  quite  numerous,  having 
members  in  India,  Java,  Sumatra,  and  Africa.  The  Indian  variety  is  famous 
for  the  wrinkled  folds  of  skin  which  cover  the  shoulder  and  leg  joints,  and  give 
good  protection  to  the  owner.  The  skin  of  the  rhinoceros  is  so  tough  that  a 
lead  bullet  will  not  pierce  it,  while  the  bones  of  its  skull  are  the  thickest  of 
any  animal.  The  African  variety  has  a  smooth,  tough  skin  without  any  shoul- 
der-folds. Throughout  Abyssinia  the  rhinoceros's  skin  is  largely  used  for 
war-shields.  When  rubbed  down  and  oiled  it  becomes  semi-transparent,  like 
dull  amber.  The  horn  of  the  rhinoceros  is  formed  of  countless  hairs  growing 
together  in  a  compact  mass.  This  horn  is  quite  independent  of  the  skull,  for 
a  few  days  after  death  it  will  drop  off.  It  is  much  sought  for  to  make  sword 
and  axe  handles,  as  it  is  one  of  the  toughest  things  in  the  world. 

All  the  rhinoceros  family  are  bad-tempered.  Without  any  reason  they 
will  attack  a  beast  or  dead  object,  whichever  is  nearest.  The  rhinoceros  has 
been  seen  to  caper  about,  squealing  with  rage,  and  attack  a  bush,  tearing  it  up 
and  trampling  it  to  pieces.  The  furious  beast  will  drive  its  horn  into  the 
ground  and  then  rush  along  until  the  earth  looks  as  though  a  huge  plough 
had  been  over  it.  Sometimes  a  lion,  or  tiger,  or  a  leopard  is  foolish  enough  to 
attack  a  rhinoceros,  but  the  battle  generally  ends  with  the  victory  to  the  latter. 


ANGRY  RHINOCEROS. 


THE   RHINOCEROS. 


The  elephant  and  rhinoceros  stand  somewhat  in  awe  of  each  other.  The  ele- 
phant is  nervous  and  excited  when  the  rhinoceros  is  near,  and  even  this  black, 
quarrelsome  beast  will  turn  aside  if  it  hears  an  elephant  coming,  though  the 
rhinoceros  will  often  attack  an  elephant.  The  size,  weight,  and  length  of  tusk 
of  its  opponent  makes  it  too  risky  to  fight  in  a  fair  battle,  but,  instead,  the 
crafty  rhinoceros  lies  in  wait  and  rushes  upon  the  elephant  unawares,  and  rips 
it  open  with  its  powerful  horn.  The  elephant  cannot  see  sideways  very  well, 
and  the  rhinoceros,  knowing  this,  lies  in  wait  for  its  victim  until  it  turns  its 
body  to  the  right  angle.  But  if,  by  any  chance,  the  rhinoceros  misses  its 
strike,  a  terrific  battle  takes  place,  which  generally  ends  in  a  victory  for  the 
elephant. 

The  African  natives  have  a  curious  way  of  killing  the  rhinoceros.  They 
place  a  strong  looped  rope  in  a  shallow  pit  near  the  feeding-ground.  The  rhi- 
noceros, in  walking  along,  puts  its  foot  into  the  loop  and,  becoming  alarmed, 
rushes  off.  At  the  end  of  the  rope  a  huge  baulk  of  timber  is  fastened.  It  soon 
gets  tired  of  dragging  this  weight  after  it,  and  often  gets  it  wedged  between 
two  trees.  The  log  leaves  a  clear  trail  which  the  natives  follow  the  next  day 
until  they  find  their  victim.  They  then  kill  it  with  spears.  Sometimes  the 
rope  by  which  the  beast  is  caught  breaks,  and  then  things  become  exciting. 


FOLLOWING   A   NOOSED    RHINOCEROS. 


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HIPPOPOTAMUS. 


THE   HIPPOPOTAMUS. 


The  Hippopotamus 
lives  in  Africa.  ,  It  is  to  be 
found  in  the  great  lakes 
and  on  the  banks  of  the 
Zambesi  and  the  Nile 
rivers.  A  few  years  ago 
the  hippo  was  found  many 
miles  north  of  Khartoum, 
but  it  has  vanished  before 
civilization.  It  is  the  next 
largest  animal  to  the  ele- 
phant. Sir  Samuel  Baker 
tells  of  having  killed  a  bull 
hippo  nearly  fifteen  feet 
long.  Its  body  is  so  dense 
and  he,avy  that  the  instant  it  is  shot  it  sinks.  The  beast  feeds  upon  the  water- 
plants  which  grow  so  profusely  in  the  tropics,  and  when  searching  for  food  it 
is  able  to  run  on  the  bottom  of  the  river. 

Its  feet  have  four  toea,  each  having  a  sharp  nail,  which  enables  the  huge 
creature  to  easily  drag  its  body  up  the  slippery  mud-banks.  Its  jaws,  which 
are  larger  than  those  of  any  other  animal,  contain  huge  teeth.  The  ivory  is  in 
great  demand  for  dentists'  work  and  for  making  delicate  instruments.  While 
the  hippo  is  a  sulky  beast  and  rather  stupid,  it  has  gleams  of  sense  once  in 
a  while.  When  it  has  been  wounded  it  suddenly  dives  under  the  water,  and 
on  coming  up  to  breathe  it  only  allows  the  tip  of  its  nose  to  stick  out.  The 
brain  of  this  mighty  animal  is  no  larger  than  a  man's  hand.  The  hippo  is  ill- 
tempered  and  quarrelsome.  It  will  attack  boats  without  reason,  rushing  at 
them  with  open  jaws  and  smashing  the  frail  wood-work  in  pieces.  Should  the 
hippo  be  surprised  asleep  upon  a  bank,  it  will  run  headlong  for  the  water. 
They  have  been  seen  to  jump  down  a  bank  sixteen  feet  high,  and  one  can 
imagine  what  a  splash  there  was. 

It  seems  that  there  is  never  any  war  between  me  crocodile  and  the 
hippo,  as  the  latter's  skin  is  too  tough  for  the  reptile's  teeth.  Often  a  croco- 
dile, or  even  a  lion  or  a  leopard,  will  carry  off  a  baby  hippo,  but  not  without 
great  danger,  for  the  mother  fights  fiercely  for  her  young. 

The  Arabs  have  m2,ny  ways  for  catching  the  hippo,  but  the  best  known  is 
with  the  harpoon.  Two  swimmers  go  out  toward  the  hippo  and  throw  their 
harpoons,  which  are  attached  to  a  rope.     The   hippo   dives  at  once  and  the 


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THE    HIPPOPOTAMUS. 


AN    ATTACK    ON    A    WOUNDED    HIFPOPOTAMUS. 

swimmers  make  for  the  shore.  Directly  the  creature  rises  it  sees  the  strange 
float  by  its  side,  dives  once  more,  and  rushes  up  and  down  on  the  river-bed 
trying  to  rid  itself  of  the  harpoons.  In  the  meanwhile,  a  canoe  puts  out  from 
shore  and  fastens  ropes  to  the  float,  and  then  the  fun  begins.  Sometimes  the 
hippopotamus  deliberately  leaves  the  water  and  charges  its  enemies.  The 
wily  Arabs  throw  sand  in  its  eyes  so  that  it  cannot  see  and  thus  force  it  to 
take  to  the  water  again.  It  does  not  take  long  to  kill  the  beast  once  it  is 
brought  into  shallow  water. 

The  various  expeditions  up  the  River  Nile  have  been  seriously  hampered 
by  the  hippo,  which  would  swim  out  under  the  light,  shallow-draught  boats  and 
either  upset  them  or  crush  their  bottoms  in.  Before  the  late  war  in  the  Sou- 
dan, the  hippo  used  to  be  seen  feeding  far  down  the  Nile,  but  now  it  has  van- 
ished, except  in  the  parts  of  the  river  above  Khartoum.  Now  that  Khartoum 
is  in  the  hands  of  civilized  people  the  hippo  will  probably  be  driven  back 
altogether  to  the  great  lakes.  It  seems  that  at  one  time  the  hippo  lived 
as  far  north  as  Cairo,  until  it  was  exterminated  by  man.  Livingstone  men- 
tioned having  seen  immense  numbers  of  hippos  feeding  along  the  shores  of 
the  Albert  and  Victoria  Nyanza.  The  method  of  killing  the  hippo  used  by 
the  natives  living  near  the  lakes  was  so  crude  that  the  vast  number  of  the 
creatures  never  seemed  to  be  reduced. 


A  PAIR  OF  TOUCANS  EATING  BANANAS. 


THE  CUCKOO,     (yi  Natural  Size.) 


SHARKS   ATTACKING   A   DIVER. 


THE   ARMADILLO. 


The  Armadillo  is  found  in  Paraguay,  where  it  is  quite  common.     This 
creature  is  covered  with  a  suit  of  armor  which  protects  it  from  its  enemies.     It 


PICHICIAGO    ('/.  Natural  Size;. 


ARMADTLLO    ('A  Natural  Size). 


runs  very  swiftly,  and  easily  beats  off  any 
animal  that  attacks  it.  A  jaguar  has  been 
seen  to  roll  an  armadillo  over  and  over 
many  times  without  being  able  to  get  any 
grip  for  its  teeth.  It  is  easily  tamed  and 
will  run  about  a  house  without  fear. 


THE    PICHICIAGO. 

Here  is  a  little  animal  called  the  Pichi- 
ciago,  which  seems  to  be  a  cross  between  a 
mole  and  an  armadillo.  Its  back  is  covered 
with  a  thick,  horny  skin,  which  is  exceedingly 
tough. 

The  claws  of  this  animal  are  long  and 
powerful,  which  enable  if  to  burrow  through 
the  hardest  soil  with  great  rapidity.  Like 
all  the  rest  of  its  family,  it  lives  on  the 
ground  and  is  nocturnal  in  its  habits.  Its 
length  is  about  twelve  inches. 


A  PIKE  SEIZING  A  MOOR-HEN. 


THE   AARDVARK. 


The  Aardvark  is  a  true  ant-eater  and  lives  in  South  Africa.  This  ani- 
mal is  not  often  seen,  for  it  rarely  comes  out  before  nightfall.  Its  claws  are 
very  powerful,  and  are  used  in  digging  up  ants,  upon  which  it  feeds,  also  in 
making  the  huge  burrow  in  which  it  lives. 

Many  writers  have  given  accounts  of  this  strange  creature,  but  much  of 
the  information  must  be  fiction.  Although  the  aardvark  is  quite  large,  it  has 
no  means  of  defending  itself  except  with  its  claws.  These,  of  course,  are 
very  dangerous,  but,  owing  to  the  animal's  short  reach,  they  can  only  be  used 
when  the  enemy  is  close  to  it.  The  aardvark  depends  mainly  for  safety  upon 
its  ears.  Directly  it  hears  a  suspicious  noise  it  slinks  quietly  away.  It  is  a 
curious  fact  that  the  aardvark  moves  very  silently  for  so  large  an  animal.  It 
is  said  that  one  of  these  creatures  will  pass  quite  close  to  a  man  without  his 
being  aware  of  it.  Its  nose  is  very  sensitive,  and  when  attacked  its  first 
instinct  is  to  tuck  its  head  in  between  its  fore-legs,  so  as  to  protect  that  organ. 
The  eye  of  the  aardvark  is  large  and  lustrous,  and  of  a  dark  hue.  Its  fur  is 
thick  and  matted,  which  protects  it  from  the  attacks  of  the  ants.  The  top  of 
its  skull  and  ears  have  curious  wrinkles  in  them,  and  are  perfectly  bare. 


GREAT  ANT-EATER. 


THE   ANT-EATER. 


The  Great  Ant-eater  belongs  to 
South  America.  It  differs  from  the 
aardvark  in  that  it  has  much  smaller 
ears  and  a  huge,  bushy  tail  nearly 
three  feet  long.  The  coloring  of  this 
tail  is  so  odd  that  when  the  animal  is 
seen  asleep  it  looks  like  a  bundle  of 
hay   loosely    thrown    down.      The 

and 


great 
has 


LITTLE   ANT-EATER. 


creature    is    seven    feet    lon^ 
earned  its  name  from  its  habit  of  feed- 
ing on  ants. 

A  gentleman  who  was  returning 
from  an  orchid  hunt  in  Brazil  had  a  fine 
chance  to  watch  one.  The  sun  had 
already  gone  down  and  darkness  set  in 
quickly,  as  it  does  in  the  tropics,  and  the 
moon  had  risen,  so  there  was  enough 
light  to  see  by.  The  hunter  walked 
some  distance  until  his  eyes  met  a 
strange  -  looking  clump  of  grass,  as  he 
believed.  Suddenly  he  realized  that  it 
was  an  ant-eater.  The  creature  awoke,  stretched  itself,  and  rose  to  its  feet. 
The  ant-eater  always  walks  on  the  sides  of  its  feet,  for  its  claws  are  too  long 
to  stretch  out  like  a  man's  toes.  This  ant-eater  hobbled  off  toward  a  gigantic 
ants'  nest,  and  standing  on  its  hind  legs,  dug  its  claws  into  the  top  and  crum- 
bled the  wall  down.  Immediately  the  ants  came  pouring  out  in  all  directions. 
The  ant-eater's  tongue  then  swept  them  into  its  mouth.  This  tongue  is  long 
and  thin,  and  is  covered  with  a  slimy  substance  to  which  the  ants  stick.  It 
twists  and  turns  this  tongue  about  so  swiftly  that  one  might  imagine  it  was  a 
wricfsfling  snake.  When  the  ant-eater  had  eaten  all  the  ants  in  this  nest  it 
moved  off  to  another,  where  the  same  thing  happened  as  before.  Many  of  the 
ants  swarmed  over  their  enemy, but  it  did  not  seem  to  mind  them  at  all,  although 
thay  were  large  and  powerful,  and  in  a  short  time  would  have  finished  off  a  large 
carcass.  The  hunter,  in  watching  the  ant-eater  having  its  supper,  suddenly 
remembered  his  own,  and  went  on  his  way,  leaving  his  friend  in  peace. 

The  Lesser  Ant-eater,  while  differing  from  his  relative  in  looks,  has 
much  the  same  habits.  This  creature  can  climb  trees  and  will  boldly  attack  a 
wasp's  nest,  and  in  spite  of  the  stings  of  the  insects,  will  speedily  eat  up  all  the 


FAMILY  OF  SLOTHS. 


SLOTHS. 


grubs.  None  of  this  family  have  any  teeth,  so  they  must  rely  wholly  on  the  tongue. 
Although  such  a  large  animal,  it' is  helpless  against  the  attacks  of  the  jaguar, 
which  is  its  greatest  enemy.  The  eyes  of  the  ant-eater  are  a  beady  black  and 
have  a  very  cunning  expression.  When  an  ant-eater  chooses  to  look  anyone 
straight  in  the  face  you  feel  at  once  that  it  might  be  a  very  treacherous  creature, 
but  really  it  is  quite  innocent. 

LITTLE   ANT-EATER. 

The  Little  Ant-eater 
seems  to  be  the  link  between 
the  sloth  and  the  true  ant-eater. 
These  little  creatures  inhabit 
the  trees  and  feed  upon  the 
ants  which  are  always  travel- 
ling up  and  down  the  tree- 
trunks. 

SLOTHS. 

Sloths  are  found  in  me 
West  India  Islands  and  South 
America.  They  live  in  the  trees, 
hanging  from  the  branches  by 
their  curiously  shaped  toes.  Al- 
though they  are  called  sloths 
(which  in  English  means  lazy 
people),  they  are  very  active. 
On  the  ground  they  can  hardly 
walk,  but  in  the  trees  they  run 
from  branch  to  branch  like 
monkeys.  They  travel  best  in 
windy  weather,  for  the  trees  are 
then  blown  together,  which  en- 
ables them  to  get  from  one  to  another.  The  worst  enemies  of  the  sloths  are 
the  harpy  eagles,  which  fly  at  them  and  knock  them  to  the  ground,  where  they 
are  helpless. 

Some  species  of  sloth  have  two  toes,  notably  those  in  the  West  Indies, 
while  those  found  in  Central  and  South  America  have  three  toes. 


TWO-TOED    SLOTH. 


THE   DUCK-BILL. 


From  North  Australia  comes  one  of  the  strangest  creatures  in  the  world, 
called  the  Duck-bill.  It  is  twenty  inches  long,  and  has  a  loose,  furry  skin 
like  the  beaver,  and  webbed  feet  and  a  duck's  bill. 


THE   ECHIDNA. 


The  Echidna  is 
another  North  Austra- 
lian animal.  At  first 
sight  it  looks  some- 
thing like  a  hedge-hog. 
It  is  covered  with  long 
hair  and  rolls  itself  in- 
to a  ball  when  alarmed. 
For  its  size  it  is  one  of 
the  strongest  animals 
known.  Its  muscles 
are  large  and  its  feet 
have  strong  digging 
claws.  But  the  most 
wonderful  thine  about 


'infill!'!    y 


the  echidna  is  that  it  is  the  only  egg-laying  animal  known  to  exist.     It  lays 
three  eggs  about  an  inch  long,  containing  a  yolk  like  a  bantam's  egg. 


IGUANA.    (1/16  Natural  Size.) 


^ 


CONDORS  MOBBING  A  PUMA 


CARRIER  PIGEONS  IN  FLIGHT. 


CROWS  MOBBING  SPARROW  HAWKS. 


A  MEETING  UNDER  THE  SEA. 


fe 


, 


